Ice Moon
by Tori of Lorien
Summary: Alice's life is finally complete now that Jasper is a part of it. But when her heart is shattered again, she has to pick up the pieces to not only put her own life back together, but also to save the life of the one she loves most. Full summary inside.
1. Preface: The Half Open Door

**Ice Moon**

**Summary**: _Ice Moon_- derives from the Neo Pagan name for a full moon in January, also called _Moon of Ice_, the Celtic name for a full moon in February. Sequel to "Blood Moon." Alice's life is finally complete now that Jasper is a part of it. But when her heart is shattered again, she has to pick up the pieces to not only put her own life back together, but also to save the life of the one she loves most.

**Rating**: T

**Genre**: Angst/Romance

**Disclaimer**: None of these characters are mine. Neither are the references to either "New Moon" or "Eclipse."

**A/N**: Yep. You are really seeing this. Welcome to the preface of "Ice Moon!" It's so good to be here. I'm so glad all of you enjoyed "Blood Moon." Your reviews mean a lot to me. Since it is a sequel, I would like to say please read that one first since there are references here that will only be understood if that one was read first. It's a sequel, so yeah, lol. I hope you guys enjoy this too! As a reminder, this is a cross between "New Moon" and "Eclipse," so it's not just the second story. I only have time to give you the preface today, I'm sorry. But, it is a bit longer than the "Blood Moon" one, so it's a little better. I love you all, and please enjoy! I will try to get chapter one up as soon as possible. Enjoy!

_Preface- The Half-Open Door_

_"Down, down, down. Would the fall NEVER come to an end!"_

_-Alice's Adventures in Wonderland__, Chapter I-"Down the Rabbit Hole, Lewis Carrol_

Tears immediately filled my eyes and rolled down my cheeks when I heard another familiar, tortured scream, having to move my gaze away from the half-open door. It was heart wrenching… How could she be so cruel? How could she be so heartless? How could she just stand by and allow him to suffer at the hands of the newborns? I nearly cried out in frustration at my helplessness. I only wanted the screams to stop so the one they came from wouldn't have to be in pain anymore…

This was all my fault. It was because of me that she was doing this since it was because of me that her mate was dead. If I hadn't been so reckless, I wouldn't have been in this position. It was because of _me_ that he was suffering through such tremendous pain…

But… hadn't it been _his_ fault for leaving me broken to begin with? Hadn't _he_ caused _me_ so much pain and suffering when he left me behind him, only leaving a big, gaping hole in his place? Hadn't _he_…

No, I couldn't place the blame on him since this was truly my fault… All the anger I felt toward him immediately slipped away as I watched him fall to the hard floor when he was tossed into the small, dark room through the half-open door, hardly having the strength to push himself up again. A quiet sob escaped from me as I looked at his beaten, battered form across the room from me as the door slammed completely shut behind him.

He had a deep tear in his throat where one of the newborns had viciously torn into it, more scars and gashes scattered across his upper body that hadn't been there before. There were also some burn marks where she had taken a match to his bare skin, setting in on fire and letting it burn for a short time before putting it out, which had caused him excruciating pain. But how else could you torture a vampire but through venom and fire?

I highly doubted he even had the strength to scream anymore…

I shakily whispered his name, knowing that he could hear my nearly silent voice. After a long moment, he slowly turned his head to look at me, his black eyes weary and filled with pain. But when he saw the tears streaming from my eyes, a new emotion entered his gaze- compassion. He was trying to assure me that everything would be all right, despite the extreme pain he was obviously in. But I knew it wouldn't be all right, and I knew he knew it wouldn't be, since I was soon going to be forced to make the most important decision of my life.

She had promised me that only one of us would leave this small, dark room alive… the crimson eyes of fate were constantly watching us, bent on revenge… reminding me that the time for my decision was drawing near…

I would either allow her to continue the torture with the newborns so that he would die… or I would give up my own life to save the life I treasured most.

**A/N**: Alrighty, there's the preface. Sorry it's short and kinda evil, but I will get chapter one up as soon as I can. Also, I'm afraid that I don't have a preview prepared for chapter one, but I will try to make them for the rest of the chapters. I can just promise you that it will be a lot lighter than this. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated! Thank you!

**Next Chapter**: _Snow Day_


	2. Chapter 1: Snow Day

**Disclaimer**: As always, these characters aren't mine. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N**: Hey! Wow, thank you so much for your quick response with reviews, guys! That makes this story already completely worth it! I'm glad you all liked the preface, even though it was evil. Sorry, I had to. Just a note. I had to tamper with Alice and Jasper's ages a little bit since when I first wrote "Blood Moon," I was not planning on writing a sequel. Since I mentioned it was a year later, Alice is seventeen and Jasper is "seventeen," but he's about to "turn eighteen," as you'll find out in this chapter. So, I just had to clear that up a bit. Trust me, I do have my reasons for changing their ages. But anyway, I'm glad you liked the preface, and I hope you enjoy the more lighthearted first chapter!

_Chapter 1- Snow Day_

I slowly opened my eyes when the alarm clock on the nightstand beside my bed went off. I groaned as I turned onto my back and hit the snooze button, ignoring the annoying glowing, green numbers that showed me that it was six-thirty, which was also "get up and get ready for school" time. How I hated that time… Besides, it was the last day before winter break of my senior year, and who _really_ wanted to go to school on that day anyway?

"You know, I would normally tell you not to push that button and just get up and get ready because you'll be late for school otherwise, but I might not have to do that today."

At the quiet sound of the voice I loved most in the world, I opened my eyes and looked up into Jasper's perfectly sculpted face. "And what makes you say that?" I asked quietly, my voice still thick with sleep as I snuggled closer into his side.

Jasper smiled down at me before quickly kissing the top of my head. "Have you seen the amount of snow we're getting?" he wondered. "It could make for terrible driving conditions."

I rolled my eyes. "No, I haven't because unlike you, I was busy sleeping instead of watching the snow," I told him. "Besides, school never gets cancelled in 'bad-weather central…'"

"You might want to take a look for yourself then."

Since he was so insistent and I couldn't resist those golden eyes of his, I slowly climbed out of bed, shivering since I was no longer protected by my blanket's warmth, and threw back the curtains over my window. After my eyes adjusted to the sudden light, I gasped as my eyes widened at the sight outside.

There was already at least five, maybe six, inches of what appeared to be the heavy snow on the ground and was still falling in heaps from the sky. There was also a strong wind, which caused the fallen snow to drift across the roads, creating, as Jasper had said, terrible driving conditions. I had to learn to listen to the vampire…

Could it possibly be…?

"See?" Jasper muttered with amusement from where he still lay on my bed.

I nodded, but I still didn't get my hopes up too high. You never know- our superintendent could be crazy enough to still have school in this weather. It's been known to happen in places that were expected to have snowy weather in December…

Suddenly, my cell phone began to ring near my bed. I ran over to it, picking it up and answering it on the first ring. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Alice!"_ Jessica exclaimed on the other end. _"Have you heard? Schools are closed today!"_

I smiled broadly, and Jasper laughed a little when he sensed my excitement. "No, I haven't been watching the news since I just woke up," I replied. Jessica and I have been better friends lately since I got together with Jasper and Mike Newton, her boyfriend, wasn't hanging around me so much. "But are you serious? It's cancelled?"

"_Yeah, they just called it!"_ Jessica told me with just as much excitement. _"So, what are you doing today? Mike and I are calling everyone so we can get as many people as we can to have a massive snowball fight through town."_

"That sounds fun, Jess, but I think I have other plans today," I said, glancing over at Jasper. "I think I'm going to the Cullens' house and spending some time with them."

"_Oh."_ I wasn't surprised that Jessica sounded slightly disappointed. I was pretty much the only one who got along well with the Cullens, even though a lot of girls had crushes on the guys of the family- including Emmett and Edward. Everyone was surprised, if not jealous, that I was in their social circle. _"Yeah, I suppose you'd wanna' see your boyfriend. You can bring him with you if you want to find us later. But hey, don't your brothers live with them now? I haven't seen them in a long time…"_

I smiled slightly, though it was a bittersweet smile. "Yeah. They have been since we got back from the Montana trip last summer," I explained. "Remember, they have that… health condition which needs to be watched by Doctor Cullen?" Wow, I needed to get my story straight… I could tell Jasper was silently laughing at me.

"_So, does that mean that _all_ of the Cullens have that health condition then since Edward and Emmett look like them now?"_ Jessica asked with confusion.

Oh, crap! "Um… I don't know…"

_"But, shouldn't you know? I mean, you're dating one of them, girl!"_

"Well, you see…" I paused for a second, knowing that I had to get myself out of this corner and fast. "Oh, hey, my grandma's calling me. I've gotta' go. But, I'll see you later, all right?" Wow, brilliant move, Alice…

"_Okay,"_ Jessica said, but I could tell that she wasn't going to drop the subject. _"I'll see you sometime over break if you can't make it today. Happy holidays!"_

"All right, see you soon, Jess. You too. Bye." I quickly flipped my phone closed and set it down with a sigh.

"Your brothers have a health condition which needs to be watched by Doctor Cullen?" Jasper asked with disbelief, a teasing glint in his eye. "I must say, Alice, even for you, that was… pathetic. It's been a year since we've gotten back."

"Yeah, well, I was put on the spot," I protested in my defense for whatever pride I had left, climbing into my bed and laying down beside him again, resting my head on his shoulder while he wrapped his arm around me. "What was I supposed to say? They've been turned into vampires, but don't worry. They won't hurt you. They're vegetarians. I would like to see _you_ come up with something so quickly…"

"I could have," Jasper told me with a wink.

I looked up at him with a sly smile. "Okay, then prove it," I replied. "Why are Edward and Emmett now so pale?"

Jasper smiled back down at me as he explained, "It's a recessive gene trait in their DNA dealing with the pigmentation of their skin caused by the sudden shift from a sunny place to a place with hardly any sunshine, back to sunny place, and finally back to a place with hardly any sun. It's not very common, which is why you do not possess it, but the outcome tends to be the drastic paling of the skin due to the surfacing of this recessive gene."

I stared up at him in complete shock once he was finished. "Is… is that even possible?" I asked. For one, short moment, I believed him.

In response to my question, Jasper just shrugged. "You can tell a man there are over three billion stars in the sky and he will believe you, but put a sign that says 'wet paint' on a bench and the man must touch it for himself to see if it truly is wet," he answered, though it really wasn't an answer…

"So, do you really think that people will believe all that mumbo jumbo you must made up?" I still had my doubts.

Jasper smirked at me. "You humans are curious by nature," he told me. "If you tell someone something that they themselves can't determine, such as how much stars there are in the sky, they tend to accept it as fact. But, if you say something that is simple enough for them to prove, such as putting a sign on a bench that says 'wet pain,' then that person can touch the bench for themselves to know for sure that it really is wet. It's curiosity."

My smirk mirrored his. "True…" I granted. But then, a mischievous glint appeared in my eyes. "Since we're such a curious people, I wonder what would happen if I do _this_."

Before Jasper could even ask what I was referring to, I leaned over and kissed him randomly, my lips lingering on his for a short moment. When I moved away, I saw that he had a small smile lighting up his face. "My you are one curious little monster," he muttered before rolling us over so he was now lightly on top of me. I laughed a little before he leaned down, our lips meeting again in a kiss that was more passionate than the sneak one I had given him.

I wrapped my arms around his back to hold him in place while he placed his cold hand on my hip. But then, Jasper suddenly broke away as his head swerved to my bedroom door. "What?" I asked, alarmed.

"Your grandmother's coming up the stairs," Jasper told me quietly. "I should go."

"Yeah, I guess," I agreed with disappointment as he got off the bed and covered me back up with my blanket. "She would freak out if she saw you in bed with me." Even though Jasper and I didn't go that far in terms of our physical relationship and do things like _that_ since he was a vampire and I wasn't and he could easily hurt me, my grandmother would _definitely_ jump to the wrong conclusion anyway…

"Don't sound so disappointed. I won't be gone long," Jasper said, kissing my lips again quickly before he walked over to the window. "I'll come to your front door in about… fifteen minutes asking if you want to come spend the snow day with us since you already told Jessica that was what you would rather do today anyway."

I smiled up at him. "Okay. See you soon, Jazz."

Jasper smiled in return before pushing up the window and quickly slipping out. Shivering, I rushed over to it and pushed it back down to keep out the harsh winter air right as the door to my room opened. "Oh. You're awake, Alice," my grandmother said cheerfully. "You do realize that you have no school today, don't you, honey?"

"Yeah, Grandma," I replied with a smile. "Jessica called and told me, which is what woke me up. I've been too excited to go back to sleep."

"Are you doing anything with her and your friends today since there's no school?"

"She told me that some of us were going to get together, but I don't know if I'm going to," I told her.

"Why not, honey? It's better than sitting around here all day not doing anything," my grandmother said.

I shrugged. "I don't know. If something else comes up, I might consider it." Like, spending the day with Jasper, for example.

Though it was strange to say, living with my grandmother really wasn't torture for me anymore. In fact, I kinda' liked it now that we got along better. The one thing I did miss, however, was the fact that Edward and Emmett no longer lived with us.

Since they had been turned into vampires and were now members of the Cullen family, they lived with Carlisle since he didn't think that it would be the best idea for them to live around humans quite yet, and he didn't want questions to be raised about their appearance. Emmett and Edward had both graduated from school, so they fortunately didn't have to worry about that anymore.

But as it was with Jasper, both of my brothers had better self-control around me, so I was the only human they were allowed to see if there were no other vampire around. Unfortunately, just the opposite happened when I was around "normal" vampires since the ones that drank human blood were drawn to me as if I was a magnet…

But, that was beside the point. I now have seven fully-capable vampires that watch out for me if any nomads happen to wander through Forks or if Laurent or Victoria really do decide to come after me for the death of James even though it was almost a year later since they were still out there somewhere. Hopefully, that wouldn't be the case. I hated having my family fight for me…

The definite positive change in my grandmother, though, was that she now seemed to be putting things into perspective with the absence of Edward and Emmett. Carlisle had brought me home after the camp on his own, regretfully telling her that my brothers had contracted some strange but potentially fatal disease where they would have to be in his continuous care. He was an impressive liar, I had to admit. But with the constant threat that Edward or Emmett could die, though they hadn't to my grandmother's knowledge, she viewed me in a whole new light since I was technically her only grandchild left, at least in the house. She was even calling me by Alice now, which was a definite bonus. She paid more attention to my needs as an individual instead of what a girl my age _should_ be doing, and she was starting to act more like a grandmother.

But I missed Emmett and Edward terribly, and I wondered if _I_ was ever going to be a member of the Cullen family. I almost had been when James had bitten me at the camp, but Bella had been able to get the venom out of my system in time to stop the transformation from occurring. Jasper was still as strongly opposed to my turning as ever-though he_ had_ admitted that he would be the one to turn me if it came down to it-since he said I still had a choice of whether I was a human or vampire, and he wasn't going to take my humanity away from me since I still had that choice.

"Well, since you're awake, you might as well come down and have breakfast," my grandmother said, breaking into my thoughts. "I'm making ham and cheese omelettes."

I smiled broadly. Those were my favorite! "Great! I'm coming!"

I followed my grandmother out of my room and down the stairs to the kitchen. I sat down at the table when she moved to the stove to start cooking, and from where I was, I could see she had been watching the news in the living room. From what I could read on the T.V. screen, I could see that the snow was supposed to stop around noon, and by then, we were supposed to have about a foot of snow if not more. Wow, that was the most snow the small town of Forks has seen for a while…

At seven, my grandmother finished making my omelette and set it on the table in front of me with a fork and a glass of milk when the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" she asked, mainly to herself.

My smirk was so wide that I wasn't sure if I could successfully hide it behind my hand. _I_ knew who it was. It had been about fifteen minutes… "I'll get it, Grandma," I offered, getting out of my chair.

"Alice, you're in your pajamas," my grandmother stated.

"Yeah, and so is every other kid in Forks," I told her, but I smiled anyway. What? My pajamas were decent enough- a small, black t-shirt, a pair of navy pants with yellow crescent moons on them, and a pair of white socks. Besides, Jasper sees me in them all of the time anyway…

My grandmother sighed, but she didn't stop me from leaving the kitchen and entering the living room where the front door was. I saw the silver Volvo in the driveway even before I opened the door, so it was no surprise to me when I saw Jasper standing on the other side. I smiled broadly at the sight of him covered in snow. He looked adorable, almost like my own personal abominable snowman since he was so much taller than me.

"Hey there, Frosty!" I greeted cheerfully, reaching up to help him brush some of the snow off his shoulders.

"Hey," Jasper replied with a smile of his own, standing in the doorway so that he wasn't yet in while he got all of the snow off him so it wouldn't get he carpet wet. My heart fluttered, and he smirked, when he brushed it out of his wet blond hair, which made him look _so_ good. Better than usual, which was saying something. "I see that you're staying warm."

"Yep. You can come in now since you're de-snowdified." I stepped back a little so that he could enter before shutting the door behind him so the snow wouldn't get in the house and I wouldn't get too cold.

"_De-snowdified_?" Jasper looked down at me curiously.

I laughed- the mischievous laugh I knew that Jasper loved so much. "Word I made up," I explained casually. "It means that you're free of snow."

Jasper smiled down at me as he laughed a little, but then we both looked back at the kitchen when my grandmother suddenly entered the living room. "Oh, Jasper. Good to see you, dear," she said as she smiled at him. I was so relieved that she liked him… "It's a good thing that you let the poor boy in, Alice. Hell's freezing over out there! I'm glad you made it safely."

"Thank you, Mrs. Brandon. Good to see you too," Jasper replied politely with a slight nod of his head- definitely his Southern upbringing. "Yes, driving certainly is difficult out there right now. The plows haven't gone through some of the side streets yet, but the main roads aren't so bad."

"That's right, and you live so far out, too. I'm surprised you made it here," my grandmother muttered as she approached us. "Here, let me take your coat, and you can come in and warm up, dear."

Jasper handed her his coat- she didn't seem to be bothered by his cold hands since it was frigid outside-as he took off his shoes, leaving them on the mat by the door so that he wouldn't get anything else in the house wet. "I thought I would come to keep Alice company for a while, and maybe once the weather clears up a bit, she can come back to my place for the afternoon and evening. My sisters would love to see her, not to mention Edward and Emmett."

"Can I go, Grandma?" I asked enthusiastically. She didn't have to know that I had already planned on spending the day with the Cullens. The less she knew the better.

"Well, yes, if you want to face the elements," she answered as she hung up Jasper's coat in the closet with ours. "And as long as you're careful driving, of course."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Brandon," Jasper assured her, placing his arm around me as I moved close to his side. "I'll make sure nothing happens to her."

I smiled up at him, standing up on my toes to kiss him. Jasper retuned it, but the moment was over much, much too soon when my grandmother cleared her throat.

"Breakfast, young lady," she reminded me.

My face flushed furiously with embarrassment as I took Jasper's larger hand in mine and led him past my grandmother into the kitchen, where he sat beside me at the table while I began to eat my omelette.

"Can I make you one, Jasper?" my grandmother asked after she made it back to the stove and began to make her own. "I have plenty of ingredients here for another."

"Oh, no thank you, Mrs. Brandon. I already ate," Jasper answered with a polite smile. "I don't want you to go through the trouble."

"No trouble at all, dear. I just hate having us eat in front of you. Are you sure you don't want one?"

"It's no big deal. And, no thank you. I'm sure."

I smiled up at him, wondering what he had already eaten. A deer? A small squirrel or rabbit perhaps? Jasper returned the smile, taking my hand that was resting on my knee in his cold one.

My grandmother then finished making her omelette and poured herself a glass of milk before she sat down at the table across from us, looking at us curiously. "So, Jasper. You're going to be eighteen soon, correct?" she asked.

Jasper seemed to be caught off guard by the question. "Yes, correct," he answered. "Next month." I had to struggle to hold in my laughter. _Sure_ he was going to be eighteen… plus how many years it's been since the Civil War. It amazed me sometimes to think about how much older than me Jasper really was…

"That's what I thought." My grandmother then looked over at me, and I recognized the look to mean something along the lines of, "If you two do anything when next month rolls around, I can get him arrested if I find out about it." I blushed fiercely again as I lowered my gaze from hers and took another bite of my omelette.

The rest of breakfast passed without incident, with the three of us talking about the snowstorm raging outside, how school was going, and what our plans for after high school were. Jasper said that he was probably going to be staying in Washington, and I mentioned that's how I was probably going to start off too. I wasn't sure exactly what my future held for me, but no matter what, Jasper was definitely going to be worked into it somehow.

When I was finished with my omelette, I got up from the table and placed my plate, fork, and cup in the sink. I was about to wash them, but Jasper insisted that he do it even though I told him he didn't have to and I didn't mind doing them. My grandmother finally told me to just let him do it since he was so insistent and polite, so Jasper stayed in the kitchen to help her while I ran upstairs to get ready so that we could leave once the weather calmed down a bit. I entered my room and shut the door, smiling broadly to myself as I leaned back against it.

This was going to be the best snow day ever!

**A/N**: See? Much more lighthearted. It won't be staying that way for too much longer though… But the events of this chapter were actually inspired by my last day before winter break of my senior year when schools were closed. Of course, I didn't have Jasper come visit me, but still. The idea is still the same, lol. Oh, and happy Mother's Day! I hope you all have a wonderful day with your mothers. But, as I said before, the lightheartedness won't be staying around too much longer since… well… why don't you for yourselves with the preview? Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated!

**Next Chapter**: _A Snowball Fight_

"_Alice, I think it's time that you and I had a talk," she said, gesturing for me to sit in the chair beside her._

Xxx

_"Well, at least you didn't have to have it said to your face…"Jasper's eyes suddenly widened as he extended his hand out toward me. "Careful, it's-!"_

_But his warning came too late, and I screamed as I suddenly slipped on the ice and landed on my back._

Xxx

_"What are you doing, Jazz?" I wondered, noticing that he was staying very still._

_"Listening to your heart." His response came out as hardly more than a whisper, and I had to strain my ears to hear him since he didn't look up at me. "It's different from any other human heartbeat. They tempt me, but you… your heartbeat is comforting."_

Xxx

_"Do you like it?" Jasper asked, a smile in his tone at my shock._

_I couldn't answer. Their gift had literally struck me speechless._

Xxx

_"Jazz?"_

"_It's… nothing, Alice," Jasper muttered, giving me a small smile as he took my hand and kissed my fingers quickly. "Everything's fine."_


	3. Chapter 2: A Snowball Fight

**Disclaimer**: Uh, nope. I'm not Stephenie Meyer, so therefore, these characters are not mine.

**A/N**: Hey! Omg, thanks for all of the reviews! 35 already… wow, you guys are amazing! Thank you so, so much! Ha ha, I'm supposed to be in school right now, but I was also supposed to have a dentist appointment this morning so I can have my sore tooth looked at. That didn't work out so well (stupid insurance…), and since I'm still sitting here not at school (missing my math test!!!!!!), I thought I would update! Plus, your reviews completely make my day, so it works out for all of us. And plus, at least I have watching guys beat the crap out of each other to look forward to tonight since my brother has his wrestling program… What better way to let off steam, lol? Anyway, thank you guys again so much, and here's the next chapter! It's a little lighthearted in some spots, but the darker undertone begins to sneak in here. Oh, and it is a year later, by the way. I had to tamper with time and ages since I wasn't planning a sequel, but since that's cleared up, let's go full speed ahead!

_Chapter 2- A Snowball Fight_

I sat snuggled on the couch with Jasper in my favorite green sweater, wrapped up in a blanket with him though he really didn't need it. But, that was all right. Any excuse I could get to cuddle with him was perfectly fine with me.

"How much snow do you think there is out there?" I asked quietly, looking up at him from where my head was resting comfortably on his shoulder.

Jasper thought about it for only a second as he scanned my front lawn before giving his answer. "Just about a foot," he said.

I rolled my eyes with irritation at his ability to measure without a ruler as I turned my attention back to the television forecast. "Well, it's almost noon, and that's what the news predicted, so I guess they were right," I muttered.

"The snow seems to be slowing up a bit too," Jasper commented. "We could leave pretty soon if you would like. There's plenty of snow now for what our siblings have planned."

I looked up at him again, this time curiously. "What sort of plans?"

Jasper looked down at me and winked knowingly. "You'll see when we get to my house."

Before I could press the subject further, I was suddenly interrupted by a call from the kitchen of, "Alice, can you come here for a minute, please?"

"Coming, Grandma!" I called back before I turned back to Jasper.

"I'll be right back," I hissed to him as threateningly as I could, to which he only laughed quietly.

"I'll be waiting."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance as I stood up from the couch and entered the kitchen. "Yeah, Grandma?" I saw that she was sitting at the table with a posture and an expression on her face that showed she wanted to talk about something important as she turned to face me.

"Alice, I think it's time that you and I had a talk," she said, gesturing for me to sit in the chair beside her. She continued once I was seated. "You're at the age now where… you are starting to grow up and develop into a young woman. Feelings are different, especially toward men. And, now that you have a boyfriend…"

My eyes widened with horror when I realized what she was getting at. "Oh, God, Grandma. Please don't say you're trying to give me the _sex talk_!" I moaned with dread. I was trying to stay as quiet as possible, though I knew it would do no good- I knew that Jasper could hear every word that was being said… and he was silently laughing at my misery.

"That's exactly what I'm doing," my grandmother replied. "Things are different now, Alice, especially since you have a boyfriend. I gave the same talk to your mother when she was your age."

"Yeah, but this may not be the best time, Grandma," I muttered pleadingly. Not when Jasper was here and could hear everything!

"Well, I want to get this over with before you go over to his house."

"Grandma, his parents are going to be there!" I was desperate to end this conversation _now_ so Jasper didn't hear anything else. "We're not going to do anything!"

"I know, but the sooner I get this over with, the sooner you two can leave," my grandmother said- _threatened_ would be a better term. Unfortunately, I knew this was my only way out, so I stayed quiet and let her continue. "At your age, it's good to have a boyfriend. I also realize that being a teenager, you have… certain feelings and impulses that people your age want to act upon." I blushed furiously, knowing what she was implying. "Now, I know that you're old enough to make your own _responsible_ decisions, and I can't tell you what to do. You're more independent now. I would obviously prefer if you _didn't_ do that with Jasper, but if perchance you _did_, just make sure that you're protected."

"… Grandma… Jasper and I _aren't_ going to do that," I muttered in a disgruntled way, shifting uncomfortably in my seat as my cheeks burned furiously. "Okay? So, can I go now?"

My grandmother nodded, and I immediately jumped out of the chair and headed for the living room. "Bye, Grandma. I'll see you later."

"All right, honey. Be careful. Stay _safe_."

I knew that had a double meaning- that _had_ to have a double meaning after the discussion we just had. My cheeks were still super red as I sat down beside Jasper on the couch, and I was too embarrassed to even meet his gaze. But I could see the broad smile he was giving me in my mind's eye…

"Well, I see you survived," he commented quietly so that my grandmother wouldn't hear him.

"God, Jazz, I'm _so_ sorry you had to hear that," I groaned, hiding my face in my hands. "I had no idea she was going to do _that_…"

Jasper laughed a little as he put his arm around me and pulled me close to him while I buried my face into his shoulder to hide it. "Your grandmother doesn't have to worry about that, Alice," he whispered in my ear, and I couldn't help but feel that he was mocking me. "We'll use protection."

"_What_?!" I looked up at him, my eyes wide with shock and horror. He wasn't serious… was he? He had to be kidding…

But Jasper smiled broadly as he laughed at my response. "I was only joking, Alice. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist," he said. "I love seeing your reactions. They're so… animated."

I sighed in what I assumed was relief as my heart began to slow back to its normal rate. I _had_ to learn to figure out when he was joking or not…

"What I meant to say was that your grandmother has nothing to worry about… _at all_," Jasper corrected, a more serious tone to his voice as his eyes lost their teasing glint. "There's no way that we could… well, you know…"

"Yeah, I know," I muttered. "That's why you startled me so much…" My sentence trailed off as I looked out the window and saw that the snow had lightened considerably to large, fluffy flakes. "Should we head out now?" I had to escape fro this house.

"If you're ready to leave," Jasper said.

"Let's go," I answered immediately as I got to my feet and stretched with him beside me. Jasper folded up the blanket and hung it over the back of the couch where we had found it, and then we both walked to the closet to grab our coats. "We're heading out, Grandma!" I called out, smiling at Jasper when he held my coat for me as I slipped my arms into it.

"All right. Drive carefully," my grandmother said as she came into the living room to say goodbye, giving me a quick hug. "Remember what I told you, Alice."

Blushing must have been the main thing on my "things to do" list today because I did it once again as I pulled my brown boots on. "Yeah, Grandma," I replied softly as Jasper opened the front door and held it open for me. "See you later."

"Bye, honey."

"God, am I ever glad to get out of there!" I said as I walked down the steps with Jasper behind me after he shut the door again. "You have no idea how awkward that was…"

"Yes, I do," Jasper replied with a small smile. "I could hear every word, remember? And I could also feel your awkwardness."

I stepped onto the driveway as I walked toward Jasper's car and glanced back at him. "Well, at least you didn't have to have it said to your face…"

Jasper's eyes suddenly widened as he extended his hand out toward me. "Careful, it's-!"

But his warning came too late, and I screamed as I suddenly slipped on the ice and landed on my back. "Icy…" Jasper finished hesitantly as he rushed to my side, kneeling down as I sat up. "Are you all right, Alice?"

"Fine," I muttered as I looked up at him while he placed his hand gently on my back. "The only thing hurt is my pride."

Jasper laughed a little as he took my hand and helped me to my feet, holding onto me so I wouldn't fall again as we walked the rest of the distance to his car. "Well, that's a good thing. We wouldn't want you breaking anything, now would we?" he said, opening the passenger door and waiting for me to get inside before shutting it again.

I put my seatbelt on as I watched Jasper walk around the front of his car, never once almost falling. It wasn't fair… "You never slip on ice, do you?" I asked grudgingly as he climbed in the driver's seat beside me and put on his seatbelt- good image for my grandmother. He never wore it otherwise since… well, he didn't need to.

Jasper smiled as he started the car and put it in reverse, looking over his shoulder as he began to back out of the driveway so we could begin our drive to the Cullen household. "Nope. Just one of the few advantages of being a vampire."

* * *

"The _sex talk_?! Man, that's hilarious!" Emmett exclaimed with a loud laugh after I told him what had happened at home. That's the thing I marveled about the transformations. Even though Emmett and Edward were now vampires, they still acted the same as when they were human. Besides the pale skin, golden eyes, heightened senses, improved speed and strength, and eternal life, they weren't any different.

I rolled my eyes at my oldest brother. "Maybe it would be if it wasn't said _to_ you," I muttered. I was sitting on one of the white couches in the living room with Jasper while Emmett was on the one across from us with Rosalie beside him. Edward was sitting on a chair next to me.

"Emmett could have used that talk," Edward grinned, laughing as our brother in question turned to glare at him.

"Hey, I'm not the only one, Man!" he snapped, throwing a pillow at him at an inhuman speed before winding his arm around Rosalie's waist. "You can't talk, Ed."

Edward easily caught the pillow before whipping it back, causing Emmett to have to shield Rosalie from it with his arm. "That may be, but you _definitely_ needed it more."

"Wait," I muttered in sudden understanding, looking from Emmett to Edward and back. "You mean you guys have-!"

"Let's change the subject, shall we?" Jasper suddenly interrupted as he cleared his throat somewhat nervously.

Even though everyone in the room agreed, I still couldn't believe what I had just heard. My brothers had really… I inwardly groaned. They each may have been over eighteen, but it wasn't something that I wanted to think about…

But before anyone could figure out another topic to pursue, Bella came down the stairs into the living room. "Hey! Carlisle's done working now," she announced. "Is everyone ready?"

"Ready for what?" I wondered, looking up at Jasper. The only answer I got from him was a knowing wink.

"Oh, yeah!" Emmett exclaimed with excitement, quickly standing up with Rosalie beside him. "So, is this going to be a team thing or free-for-all?"

"Free-for-all, I think," Bella told him. "Well, except for Alice. She can be with Jasper since it wouldn't be fair otherwise. No referees either, so no rules apply."

Emmett grinned broadly. "Sweet! You guys are going _down_!"

"You're on, Emmett," Edward muttered as he rushed to stand next to Bella, wrapping his arm tightly around her as he quickly kissed her.

"Can someone please explain to me what's going on?" I asked, exasperated now. I could see that everyone was obviously excited about what whatever we were going to do, but how could I be excited if I didn't know what was going on?

"I take it you didn't tell her," Rosalie said, looking at her twin brother with a smirk.

Jasper returned it. "No, I didn't," he affirmed. "I wanted her to be surprised."

"Well, I am surprised, so can I know now?" I crossed my arms impatiently and scowled at the five vampires around me. This, however, only made Jasper laugh as he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close to him.

Bella also laughed when she saw the pout I added in for effect. "All right, all right," she said, a smile still lighting up her face. "This is about the time of year where we have our traditional family snowball fight. Since we have some new members this year, we thought it would be better if we left the teams we've had in past years and instead had a free-for-all. Of course, you're the exception, Alice, so you can be with Jasper since it really wouldn't be fair to you otherwise."

An extreme snowball fight with seven vampires? For the first time in a long time, I wondered if I was going to see the next day. Sure, I had been a referee for a game of baseball and for the kickball game against the wolves, but could I really survive being in a snowball fight with my family? Part of me now wished that I had taken up Jessica's offer to go have a snowball fight around town with my human friends instead, but I was stuck now.

Oh, well. If I was going to die, at least I would be with the people I loved most.

* * *

I ducked, a broad smile on my face as I laughed a little when Jasper's arm shielded me from a snowball thrown by Emmett. He wasn't completely used to his heightened strength yet, so it had the potential to be very painful, which is why Jasper sacrificed his arm for me. My grin broadened, however, when Emmett was distracted by another snowball from Edward, and I was able to hit him in the face with one of my own. This was almost like when it was just Emmett, Edward, and I having snowball fights when we would visit our grandmother in Forks when we were younger. Even though it was supposed to be a free-for-all, Edward and I would typically gang up on Emmett anyway. It was good to see that he remembered that as well as I did.

But even though my surprise snowball in the face resulted in Jasper having to pick me up and run me to safety since Emmett was now coming after me, Rosalie having to stop him from chasing us, my laughter did not stop.

Once we were far enough away from Emmett and the rest of the family, Jasper gently set me down on the snow-covered ground. No feet had tread here, so the snow rose all the way up to my knees. "Are you having a good time, Alice?" he asked.

"Surprisingly… yes I am," I answered, my smile causing him to smile also. "Who knew that possible death by snowballs would be so much fun?"

Jasper laughed a little, shaking his head. "You know that I wouldn't let you get killed by a snowball," he muttered.

"I know. That's why it's so fun." I spun around in a circle once, and then, I closed my eyes and fell, landing gently on my back in the snow. I felt the cold from it surround me, laughing a little as I began to move my arms and legs to make a snow angel. Then, my movement stopped and a small smile appeared on my face when Jasper's head landed on my chest, his arm winding around my waist as he lay beside me. I slowly opened my eyes and looked down at him, taking a deep breath as I ran my fingers through his blond hair.

"What are you doing, Jazz?" I wondered, noticing that he was staying very still.

"Listening to your heart." His response came out as hardly more than a whisper, and I had to strain my ears to hear him since he didn't look up at me. "It's different from any other human heartbeat. They tempt me, but you… your heartbeat is comforting."

My eyes then narrowed in concern. There had been many times where I had been comforted by Jasper, but never once had Jasper told me that _he_ was being comforted by _me_. Something was wrong… "Is everything all right, Jazz?"

At my quiet, nervous question, Jasper slowly looked up at me. "Everything's fine," he assured me, though I noticed that his tone was stiff. I hated when he lied to me…

Seeming to sense that I still wasn't convinced, he sighed as he pulled me closer so that he was lying gently on top of me, his legs intertwined with mine. "I promise."

I closed my eye as he ran his fingers lightly through my hair, feeling as though I should trust him even though I couldn't bring myself to.

But then, my breath caught when an image suddenly entered my mind. But what confused me was that it wasn't a glimpse of the future- it was from the past.

I saw myself as a young girl, maybe around five years old, sitting curled up against a tree in the snow wearing only my pajamas. I was crying… shivering… freezing… not noticing as a man I couldn't see clearly approached me…

"Alice!"

I shook my head to clear the image, but I still found that I was shaking slightly from it as I looked up at Jasper. I was very confused by what I had seen. "Jazz…"

Jasper's eyes narrowed in concern when I didn't stop shivering, and he quickly got to his feet. I reached my hand out toward him instinctively since I didn't want him to leave, and he reached down and picked me up into his arms and held me close. "Let's go back to the house," he muttered, making sure that my coat was wrapped around me tightly. I nodded, and he began to run me through the forest. I closed my eyes and clung to him tightly, not wanting to see the trees fly by us since I still wasn't used to vampire speed…

We approached the large, white house a short time later, but Jasper took only a couple of steps toward it before stopping and looking around quickly. I looked up at him curiously, wondering what he had either heard or sensed since I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Jazz, what-!"

My question ended in a scream when Jasper's arms suddenly tensed around me as he held my head down against his chest when we were attacked by a massive amount of snowballs from every side. Once they were done being thrown, I looked up cautiously when I heard laughter, and I watched as Emmett, Edward, Rosalie, Bella, Carlisle, and Esme all came out of their hiding places and formed a group around us. Jasper smiled and laughed a little as he set me down and began to brush the snow off me.

"That's for going off on your own," Emmett said with a broad grin, crossing his arms in front of him triumphantly.

"Ah, give them a break, Emmett." I was glad that Bella was a bit more sympathetic as she brushed some snow off of her brother's shoulder. "We were hoping you would come back here soon so we could give Alice her Christmas present."

I was startled by her statement. "Christmas present?" I repeated. "So soon?"

"Well, that was part of their plan, actually," Carlisle explained with a smile. "They had to get you here so you could see it instead of us bringing it to your house. They wanted to surprise you. Besides, Christmas is only two weeks away. That isn't so early, and you could definitely use this between now and then. I'll go open the garage."

From what Carlisle had said, it sounded as though he and Esme had nothing to do with this Christmas present. But what had my vampire siblings gotten me that had to be kept here so I could see it? I watched as Carlisle began to open the garage, but Jasper immediately covered my eyes so I couldn't see what was behind the door. I scowled, but he only laughed a little as he slowly began to lead me forward.

What was this gift?

"All right, Jasper. You can let her see now." Thank you, Carlisle!

Jasper slowly removed his cold hand, and I opened my eyes, gasping as my eyes widened at what I saw before me inside of the garage. I couldn't believe it…

"Do you like it?" Jasper asked, a smile in his tone at my shock.

I couldn't answer. Their gift had literally struck me speechless. It was amazing! Emmett came up behind me and waved his hand in front of my face, shrugging when he got no respone.

"Hmm… I don't think she likes it, Jazz. We could always return it. What do you guys think?"

"I think that's a good idea…" Jasper was just beaming now.

"No… I… I _love_ it!" I exclaimed, a smile spreading across my face as I laughed with disbelief when I approached the car. It was beautiful, simply beautiful. I ran my hand over the yellow hood, looked in at the seats through the driver's window… I just couldn't believe that it was actually mine.

"I know the Porsche was one of the car you really liked in one of Emmett's car magazines when we were looking through them a couple of weeks ago, and we just thought the yellow car fit you a lot better than the other red car we were considering," Edward said, coming up beside me as I continued to inspect the car. No… _my_ car. "Congratulations on getting your license and Merry Christmas, freak."

Tears were shining in my eyes as I hugged my brother tightly before going to hug Jasper and the rest of the Cullens. "Thank you so much! You guys are the best!"

After taking a test drive in my new yellow Porsche with Jasper, the rest of the day was spent putting up the Christmas tree in the living room while listening to carols on the all Christmas station on the radio, which proved to be a very dangerous task. No one could agree on where to put the ornaments, how much tinsel to put on, how many strands of lights to wind around it, and everyone argued over who should put the star on top of the tree. Finally, that job came down to me since I was the guest. I had to stand on a chair and then on my toes to reach the top, and I barely got the star on straight before I lost my balance and fell. Thankfully, Jasper was right beside the chair to catch me, and then, his lips gently met mine in a tender kiss since Rosalie immediately held some mistletoe over our heads.

Despite all the disagreements we had while putting it up, the tree still somehow looked beautiful, and we sat around admiring it when evening approached. Esme made me some hot chocolate- hazelnut, my favorite- and we laughed as she shared stories about the misadventures from the first semester at school and around the house. We completely lost track of time, and when I glanced at the clock what felt like hours later, I saw with shock that it was already eleven. Wow, it really _was_ hours later…

Since it was so late, Carlisle suggested that I just spend the night with them- I guess this had been another part of their plan anyway- and I called my grandmother to ask if it was all right. She said it was, but I blushed fiercely when I had to assure her that I would not be sleeping in Jasper's room and instead I would be commandeering one of their guest bedrooms for the night. Emmett was laughing the hardest out of all my siblings when I hung up since they all knew that wasn't going to be the case.

We sat around for about another hour, laughing at Carlisle's stories about strange patients he had encountered over the years- including getting marriage proposals, much to Esme's dislike- before I started getting tired. Jasper smiled and put his arm around me when I yawned, pulling me close to him so that my head landed on his shoulder.

"I think it's time the human went to bed," he teased quietly.

"Mm-hmm," I muttered as I closed my eyes, content right where I was.

"Time to head up then." Jasper stood up from under me and took my hand, gently pulling me to my feet.

"Have a good night's sleep, Alice," Carlisle said with a smile. "We'll see you in the morning for breakfast."

"Yep." I smiled back at him as I tightened my hand around Jasper's. "Good night, everyone."

I got a chorus of "good night" in return as Jasper pulled me along behind him as we went up the stairs and entered his bedroom. I smiled, feeling comfortable in the familiar room with its light blue walls, the guitar in the corner, the bookshelf filled with books, and the bed against the wall with its dark blue sheets. It was like a second home to me… I had just never slept in here before.

"Here. Bella left these here for you to use as pajamas since you're closer in size," Jasper suddenly said, handing me a white t-shirt and light gray sweatpants. "Get changed, and I'll come back in when you're done."

"All right. Thanks, Jazz." He nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind him to give me my privacy. I sighed and quickly changed into the clothes that Bella had left for me, seeing that the pants were a bit too long. That's all right. All I was doing was sleeping anyway.

But then, I blushed when a thought suddenly occurred to me. Tonight, Jasper and I didn't have to be concerned about being discovered. Everyone here knew that he spent nights with me, unlike when we had to be wary that my grandmother would come into my room when we were at my house. Here, we didn't have anything to hide…

"All right, Jazz. You can come back in."

He must not have gone too far because the door opened before the words were even completely out of my mouth. He had a small but amused smirk on his face, and I knew that he must have been able to sense my change in mood. "What are you thinking about?" Jasper asked quietly, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind.

"Uh… nothing." I knew he could easily tell that I was obviously lying, but I didn't mind as I folded my clothes up neatly and put them on the floor by the end of my bed.

Jasper whirled me around to face him then, leaning down and tilting my face up so that our faces were only inches apart. "Something's on your mind," he whispered, and I had the sudden urge to close the small gap between us. But I refrained- I knew that's what he wanted so he could get my answer out of me.

"Well, there's something on yours too. I can tell." I took a small step closer so that there was no space between us. "Why won't you tell me?"

I was surprised when I felt Jasper's body stiffen, but it wasn't from my closeness. His gaze, normally so strong and sure, faltered as he moved his eyes away from me, dropping his hand from beneath my chin. Alarmed, I placed my hand on his cheek to move his gaze back to me. "Jazz?"

"It's… nothing, Alice," Jasper muttered, giving me a small smile as he took my hand and kissed my fingers quickly. "Everything's fine."

He was lying- I knew he was. I had known that something was off since we had been alone in the clearing earlier that afternoon. What was so terrible that he couldn't tell me? "You… you would tell me if something was wrong, right, Jasper?" I asked quietly, hopeful for reassurance.

Jasper looked into my eyes for a long moment, and I could tell that he was thinking over his answer. "Yes, Alice," he finally replied. "Of course I would tell you if something was wrong."

Before I could say anything in response, he easily picked me up into his arms, pulling back the covers before placing me on the bed. I laid my head down on the pillow closest to the wall as he laid down beside me, covering us with that dark blue sheets after turning off the lamp at the head of the bed, casting the room into darkness except for the faint rays from the moon coming in through the curtains.

I turned over to face him as Jasper pulled me into his arms, sighing when he lightly kissed the top of my head. I knew that something was wrong, I just wasn't sure what…

"Everything is fine, Alice," Jasper suddenly whispered, able to sense my mood, I'm sure. "But you never told me what _you_ were thinking about."

There was that blush creeping up on my face again. Normally, I would have been grateful for the cover the darkness provided, but it did absolutely no good when you were lying beside a vampire. "It… really wasn't much," I told him somewhat truthfully. "I was just thinking about how nice it is to have one night were we don't have to be worried about being discovered together."

Jasper laughed a little, and his cool breath made me shiver. "That's not _all_ you were thinking about, Alice…"

I buried my face into his dark sheets, hoping that would at least hide the deeper red color in my cheeks from him. "So?" I squeaked, realizing that the thought had been subconscious.

"Alice, you know what I'm going to say about that," Jasper muttered, a smile in his tone despite the direction the conversation had taken as he pulled me closer and lowered the sheet from my face. "It's not a good idea. We can't…"

"Maybe not tonight, but I want to try at some point," I said, gaining confidence as I looked up at him. "I trust you, Jasper."

Jasper sighed as he looked down at me. "No, Alice. It… it wouldn't…"

"You won't hurt me." I know that's what he feared the most. He couldn't give in to his feelings because he was afraid of hurting or maybe even killing me.

"I don't think it would be the best idea, Alice," Jasper told me sternly. "I don't want to take any chances with you."

But I only smiled in return. "I was right about kissing you, wasn't I?"

Jasper returned the smile. "You were, but that's different."

"Jazz…"

Another sigh. "I… we'll see."

I narrowed my eyes up at him, feeling slightly encouraged that he had moved to the _we'll see_ phase. But then, Jasper slowly leaned forward and met my lips in a gentle kiss. My anger disappeared instantly as I returned it, but there was something tense in his kiss that was usually never there. I knew that there was definitely something wrong, but I didn't push him since I knew that he would tell me when he was ready.

"All right, Alice," Jasper muttered once he broke the kiss. "It's late. Get some sleep now. We'll talk more in the morning."

"Fine…" I moved so that my head was now resting on Jasper's chest, smiling to myself when he wound his arms securely around my waist. My eyes closed from pure exhaustion, and feeling his soft, cold breath on my cheek, I fell into a light sleep, being comforted knowing he was there.

**A/N**: There's a nice long one for ya'! Thank you guys so much again for all of your reviews! I love them all. Um, I'm running out of time on my end, so I'll make this short and sweet: always watch for small clues (they are there!), thank you for reading, your reviews are much appreciated, and enjoy the preview!

**Next Chapter**: _Carlisle's Story_

Where was he? Would he come for me this time when I was afraid? Why wasn't he here? Wasn't he supposed to be watching over me?

Xxx

"_Jazz?" I whispered. Even though I couldn't see in the darkness of his room, I knew that Jasper wasn't lying in the bed beside me. I didn't feel his cold body against mine, his breath on my cheek as he asked if I was all right like he typically did when I had a nightmare. He wasn't there…_

Xxx

_"What's your story?" I took another quick sip of hot chocolate. "I mean, Jasper told me parts of his, Bella told me hers, and so did Rosalie. Where did it all begin? I mean, why this lifestyle?"_

Xxx

_"If you want to know what's on my mind, I'm just wondering if it's still safe for you to be with me."_

"_What?" I was terrified by the very thought of me being apart from Jasper now._

Xxx

_"Jasper… I'm going to die," I whispered, my fingers not loosening their grip on the wheel as the truth hit me. It would happen too quickly to change…_

_Jasper's eyes narrowed with worry as he lowered his hand and leaned closer to me. "Alice, what-!"_

"_I'm going to die, Jasper!"_

Xxx

_"Jasper," I whispered, and that was the lat thing I remembered._


	4. Chapter 3: Carlisle's Story

**Disclaimer**: Uh, nope. These characters definitely aren't mine, lol.

**A/N**: Hey! Thanks for all of your quick responses, guys! They mean a lot to me! I have no school today (but I did have an AP English exam… the proctors were terrible… it was ridiculous, but at least the test itself wasn't hard!), so I thought I would update. This chapter is a little darker, but I still hope you enjoy it. There are some more lighthearted parts, which brings me to my point that I also do not own the song "Can't Stop Lovin' You" by Van Halen. That classic song will be used briefly. Oh, and I know that you'll all be brokenhearted, but with the way that this story is going to end… there has to be a third. I have a couple of ideas floating around in my head that I'm jotting down in my notebook so I can start working on it once this one is finished. It'll be the equivalent of "Breaking Dawn," but it will be nothing like "Breaking Dawn." It wasn't my favorite book. I'm changing it up a lot! But anyway, thanks again, and enjoy, everyone! And nope, I did not forget Carlisle, lol. His story is changed up a bit but somewhat similar. Enjoy!

_Chapter 3- Carlisle's Story_

_I sat against the tree in the snow, crying as I shook from the freezing air that rushed around me. I was alone and terrified, but I had seen someone outside of my window, hadn't I? I was sure that I had seen someone, which was why I was out here. But no one was there now…_

_My tears slowly stopped as I raised my head off my arms. He would come for me, I knew he would. I had seen him come…_

_When he finally stepped out from behind the line of trees, advancing toward me cautiously, I wasn't afraid of him. I extended my hands out toward him when he knelt down before me to see if I was all right, and he hesitantly picked me up as he got to his feet. Holding me close to shield me from the winter's chill, he began to walk back in the direction of my house…_

* * *

"_Read this to me."_

_I held out the book in front of me, looking at the man expectantly. _

_A small smile appeared on the visible part of his face since I couldn't see him clearly as he took the book from me before wrapping me up in a heavy blanket and lying me down on the couch. Then, he sat in the chair in front of me, glancing briefly at the cover before opening to the middle of the book since that was where my grandmother had left off, and his strangely soothing voice caused my eyes to close as I drifted into sleep…_

* * *

_I cracked one eye open when I felt the slight, cool breeze from the window being opened, and I saw that he had taken his usual spot at the foot of my bed. I closed it again tightly when his pretty-colored eyes landed on me, but I laughed a little when he stood and pulled the covers up to my shoulders._

"_You should be sleeping," he whispered to me._

"_So should you," I muttered, opening my eyes to look up at him._

_But the man only smiled at my statement as he sat down on the bed beside me. "I don't sleep," he told me quietly._

_A smile appeared on my face that matched his. "Why? Because you're too busy watching over me?" I wondered._

_He laughed a little at my question, running a hand through my short hair once. "Yes, because I'm too busy watching over you."_

_I was satisfied by that answer. I only wished that I could see him clearly and knew his name. He was always coming and going- he could be there one moment and would be gone the next. But he was my friend, a friend who no one else knew. He was like my favorite character from the story…_

"_Good night," I murmured, closing my eyes as I hugged my stuffed bat close to me. "Cheshire…"_

* * *

_I was in a dark room, unable to see anything around me. Why was I here? I shouldn't have been. Nothing was wrong with me! I wasn't sick because I saw things other people didn't… I wanted to go home._

_Then, I heard a quiet footstep to my right where the half-open door was, and I screamed as tears fell freely from my eyes when a rough hand grabbed my arm. I struggled to escape from this hand, flailing, kicking, biting, crying, screaming… but nothing worked._

_Where was he? Would he come for me this time when I was afraid? Why wasn't he here? Wasn't he supposed to be watching over me?_

"_Cheshire!"_

* * *

My eyes snapped open as I gasped, not able to see anything in the heavy darkness around me. I panicked since this was what I had just woken from. What was going on? Where was I?

But then, I relaxed when I felt the bed sheets around me instead of the hard, cold floor and the pillow beneath my head, and I took a deep breath. I was safe in Jasper's room, not in some strange place where I was alone except for the rough hand that came out of the blackness. What a strange dream…

But had it really been a dream? It felt so real… Granted, I didn't remember too much from my childhood, especially at that particular young age, but I couldn't recall having a secret friend that no one else knew about who I hadn't seen clearly in the dream, the one I had called "Cheshire." I also didn't remember being kept in a small, dark place because the owner of that rough hand had thought that something was wrong with me. It was so confusing…

Then, I suddenly raised my head in confusion. "Jazz?" I whispered. Even though I couldn't see in the darkness of his room, I knew that Jasper wasn't lying in the bed beside me. I didn't feel his cold body against mine, his breath on my cheek as he asked if I was all right like he typically did when I had a nightmare. He wasn't there…

Shivering involuntarily as a feeling of dread coursed through me, the anxiousness drove me out of bed. A drink would probably help to calm my nerves and quench the unsettling feeling of waking up alone after that nightmare. Yeah, a drink sounded like a good idea.

As quietly as I could, I opened Jasper's bedroom door and snuck down the stairs. I'm not sure why I was being quiet since I knew that everyone in the house could hear me walking around anyway, but it was a force of habit to be as courteous as possible to others. But I wasn't sure how I could be _quiet_ in a house full of vampires… It just wasn't possible.

I began to blindly make my way toward the even darker kitchen, but I paused when I heard two nearly silent voices coming from the room in front of me that I instantly recognized to be Carlisle and Jasper. So _that's_ where he had gone… But I only herd two quick parts of their sentences before they stopped talking since they knew I was there, and I tried to make sense of what I had heard.

"Too many questions…"

"She knows…"

What did that mean?

Suddenly, the light in the kitchen turned on, and I covered my eyes quickly to shield them since it nearly blinded me. I then felt a pair of cold, gentle hands on my shoulders, and I slowly lowered my arms to see that Jasper was standing before me and looking down at me with concern as he blocked out some of the light.

"Are you all right, Alice?" he asked quietly.

"I can't sleep," I answered truthfully. "I was having strange dreams… they were very fragmented… and then you weren't there…"

Guilt crossed Jasper's perfect face as he slowly pulled me against him. "I'm sorry about that, Alice," he answered, delicately kissing the top of my head. "I had to talk about something important with Carlisle…"

"Which, by the way, Rosalie was looking for you," Carlisle said as he approached us. "She wanted to speak with you about something, Jasper."

"All right." Jasper hesitantly released me and planted a quick kiss on my lips. "I'll see you upstairs."

I watched Jasper head up the steps with a sense of longing, but I looked up into Carlisle's face when he placed his arm around my shoulders. "Why don't you have a seat on the couch, Alice, and I'll make you some hot chocolate."

"Thanks, Carlisle." I walked over to the couch in the somewhat darkened living room as if I was in a daze, curling up my legs underneath my arms as I sat down. I definitely knew there was something wrong now, something they weren't telling me. But the question was… why? Why was Jasper keeping something from me, lying tome? He never had before. It didn't make any sense…

Then, the kitchen lights suddenly turned off behind me, casting the room into complete darkness for a moment before the multicolored lights on the Christmas tree came from the corner when it was plugged in. Carlisle smiled as he sat down on the couch beside me and gave me the hot chocolate, which I took gratefully.

"Thank you…"

"Of course," Carlisle replied quietly. "But isn't it amazing how the Christmas tree still somehow looks so beautiful even with all the disagreements we had about putting it up?"

I smiled and laughed a little as I took a sip of the hazelnut hot chocolate. "Yeah, it really is," I muttered. "And how I almost broke my neck putting the star on top?"

Carlisle's smile broadened, knowing as well as I did that Jasper would never have let that happen to me. He looked at me for a long moment before he sighed. "Do you want to tell me about the dreams you had, Alice?" he asked. "They really seem to be bothering you."

Taking another slow sip of my hot chocolate, I sighed as I turned to look at Carlisle. "I'm not exactly sure how to describe them," I admitted quietly. "They were very strange, almost as if they were memories that I've somehow forgotten from my childhood. There was a man who I couldn't see clearly that I called Cheshire, I'm assuming from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland since that was my favorite story when I was little. He read to me, watched over me… He was always there for me except for in the last part of my dream."

"And what was that?" Carlisle's voice was quiet and tense, almost as if he knew what my dream had meant. But how could he understand that when I didn't?

"I was in a dark room- I'm not sure where," I muttered, taking a sip of my hot beverage. "I was alone. I think the reason I was there was because someone thought that there was something wrong with me, or I was sick or something. Then, there was this rough hand that came out of the darkness and pulled on me, and I couldn't escape no matter how much I wanted to. I was calling out for someone… someone to come rescue me…"

Carlisle looked at me for a long moment, and I looked back at him, trying to assess his reaction. He appeared thoughtful, which only added to my theory that he knew more than he was letting on… He finally sighed before giving me a small smile. "Those are some strange dreams," he agreed.

"Do… do you know anything about this, Carlisle?" I asked hesitantly. There was something in his response that made me feel as though he knew _something_. More than I did to say the least…

"No, Alice. I don't know anything," Carlisle answered, though he seemed to be distracted. Something wasn't right…

We sat in silence that way for a long while, and I sighed as I finally looked over at hi again. "Carlisle?"

"Yes?" Carlisle looked back at me curiously, not expecting to hear my voice.

"What's your story?" I took another quick sip of hot chocolate. "I mean, Jasper told me parts of his, Bella told me hers, and so did Rosalie. Where did it all begin? I mean, why this lifestyle?"

Carlisle sighed also as he ran his hand through his hair. He seemed incredibly stressed lately, which was unusual for him. "It isn't the happiest story," he muttered. "But, I suppose if we had happy lives as humans, we wouldn't be here now."

"That's what Rosalie, Bella, and Jasper said too," I said thoughtfully. "But since you saved them and you were the first in this family, your story must be tragic."

"Kind of," Carlisle agreed, a ghost of a smile lighting up his handsome face. "But, I made the best of my situation since… well, I might as well tell you from the beginning now."

I situated myself on the couch so that I was more comfortable, staring at the man I considered to be my father intently as I waited to hear his tale. "It began in England in the 1400s," Carlisle said, and my eyes widened in shock. I knew that he was the oldest Cullen, but I didn't realize he was _that_ old. "My father was a holy man who was the leader of the movements against the supernatural since he was very superstitious, especially against vampires. Though I was only a young boy at the time, I knew first hand how evil vampires were. My mother and older sister were killed by one, who turned out to be my creator years later when I turned twenty-four and was studying to be a doctor. Because of the murders, my father was determined to wipe out all vampires from our town…

"And I mean _all_ of them."

"Did… did he try to kill you?" I asked in a horrified whisper, my hot chocolate now sitting forgotten in my hands.

Carlisle smiled slightly, but I could tell that it was a sad smile. "When I was turned, yes," he answered quietly. "But, as I found out, he didn't know the proper way to kill a vampire, which was fortunate for me. He believed all of the old legends that you see in movies now. I still remember the feeling of that wooden stake going through my heart, the look of pure, burning hatred in my father's eyes even though I was his son… It was the most painful experience of my life, but I don't mean physical pain. It took all of my will not to kill him."

"And you didn't." I remembered that Jasper had told me he was the only one who had tasted human blood in his family, which must have meant that Carlisle hadn't, outside of when he turned a human.

"No, I didn't kill him, even though I desperately wanted to," Carlisle murmured, seeming to be ashamed at the mere thought of killing a human being as he became lost in his memories. I was lost with him. "I managed to control the bloodlust and escaped to the sewers, where I lived off of rats and other vile creatures for years on end. I completely lost track of the time that went by. Though it was very difficult, I did not want to become the monster that had killed my family, that was ravaging our town. The sacrifice was well worth it.

"When I finally emerged, quickly learning to avoid the sunlight, it was a very different England. We had begun to colonize in the New World, which was later called America, and as you know, I traveled over and met Bella. She had all of the traits I had hoped to have in a daughter one day, and she greatly reminded me of my sister. When she was tried and sentenced to death for being a supposed witch, I decided to turn her since there was no hope left for her."

"What about Esme?" I wondered. I knew the story from there when they had found Rosalie and then Jasper, but there was still one piece of the puzzle missing.

A broad smile spread across Carlisle's face. "Bella and I traveled together for a couple of centuries," he explained. "We finally arrived in Seattle, Washington, where we decided to settle down fro some time. Bella, who was posing as my daughter, attended school while I worked in the local clinic. There was a woman who was in the last stage of her pregnancy that continually came to se me. This was Esme."

I had been in the process of raising my cup to my mouth to take another sip, but I paused when he mentioned his future wife. "And?"

"Well, let's just say that her pregnancy was pretty rough," Carlisle said. "But it was wroth the struggle when I helped to deliver her beautiful baby boy. He was perfect, just like his mother. I had grown very fond of her since I had gotten to know her well over all of her visits. I was just concerned about my self-control around her.

"Unfortunately, her son died a few weeks after birth due to disease." I gasped in horror. I could not imagine what it was like to lose a child. "When I heard the news, I had the nagging feeling that something terrible was going to happen to Esme, but I didn't act soon enough. I should have gone by my instincts. I couldn't stop her…"

"What… what happened?" I was almost afraid to know the answer.

"She was brought to the clinic soon after, seemingly dead," Carlisle told me quietly, still seeming disturbed by the event though it was centuries later. "Her broken body had been found at the bottom of a cliff. She had jumped, trying to end her life. She was hardly recognizable, and to the human eye, she was dead.

"But I could still hear and feel her heart beating faintly. Somehow, she had survived the fall. Her will was stronger than even she had realized, and there was something in her life that must have been worth living for. Since it was the only way to save her, I changed her into one of our kind as I had done with Bella. Esme then started to travel with us, and we were married a few months later. From that day on, I vowed to never allow anything to happen to her again."

Despite the dark tone the story had taken, I smiled broadly when Carlisle reached the end of his story. If either he or Esme realized it or not, I had the gut instinct that he had been the thing in her life that was worth living for when she had jumped off that cliff… "At least you have her now," I muttered.

Carlisle smiled in return as he nodded in agreement. "At least I have her." He paused for a moment, gazing absentmindedly at the bright Christmas tree while I finished my hot chocolate. I set the mug down gently on the small table, and Carlisle quickly looked over at me at the quiet sound, brought out of his thoughts. "You should head upstairs and get some sleep, Alice. It's late. I'll wash out the mug for you."

"Oh. Thank you." I handed the cup to Carlisle as we both got to our feet and he gave me a quick hug, yawning while I started to walk toward the stairs. I paused at the foot of them and looked back at Carlisle, watching as he disappeared into the kitchen and hear the water start to run before I climbed them. I had no idea that he had made such a great sacrifice…

I pushed the door of Jasper's room open when I came to it, stopping when I saw him sitting on his bed, staring blankly out the window. I slowly shut the door behind me, sighing as I approached the bed and sat down beside him.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you after your nightmare," Jasper muttered, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me closer to him.

"It's all right, Jazz," I said casually, laying my head on his shoulder. "You were talking to Carlisle, so…"

But I was interrupted by Jasper shaking his head. "No, Alice. That isn't an excuse," he replied. "I still should have been here…"

I sighed, absently running my fingers over the slightly raised scars on the exposed part of Jasper's chest. I could feel that he was very tense around me, but he relaxed a bit at my touch. "Jazz, you know I love you," I told him. "I know that something's wrong. I just wish you would tell me what it is."

"There isn't anything wrong." I immediately knew that Jasper's words were forced, just to appease me.

"Jazz…"

"Trust me, Alice."

I sighed with frustration, looking up at Jasper. His perfect features were unusually blank, but when he saw my eyes on him, a small smile graced his features. "All right," he muttered, shifting so I was a bit more comfortable. "If you want to know what's on my mind, I'm just wondering if it's still safe for you to be with me."

"What?" I was terrified by the very thought of me being apart from Jasper now. "No, Jazz. You can't mean-!"

"Shh…" Jasper tried to comfort me, running his fingers lightly across my cheek. "It's just that after the incident with James and with Victoria still out there, the thought just crossed my mind."

"No," I repeated fervently, sitting up so I could look down at him. "Jazz, you mean more to me than anything. I… I don't know what I would do without you…"

Jasper slowly sat up also, sighing as he placed his hand beneath my chin. "You'd be much safer if you weren't with a vampire," he cautioned quietly.

A small smile spread across my face as I laughed a little. "I don't care," I said. "It's still better than a human or werewolf."

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Though he tried to pass the statement off casually, I could hear the darker undertone to it. Seeming to realize this, Jasper closed his eyes as he slowly leaned forward and tenderly kissed my neck. I closed my eyes also at the feeling of his cold lips running over my throat, shivering slightly.

"I definitely like a vampire better," I whispered.

Jasper laughed a little, almost darkly, raising his head to meet my lips in a kiss. It intensified when I ran my fingers over his exposed chest and pushed him down to the bed, but we still broke apart after a moment so that I could breathe, our foreheads resting against each other.

"I love you, Jazz."

He wound his arm around me, pulling me up against him so that there was no space separating us. I sighed with contentment, laying my head on Jasper's shoulder as I closed my eyes again. Another long moment passed where neither one of us said anything- it was an eerie silence.

Then, Jasper leaned down and kissed my head as he murmured, "I love you too, Alice."

* * *

"Are you sure you don't need my help?"

"Yes. I can reach it, thank you," I growled with frustration, standing up on my toes and even jumping a little to try to reach the box of cereal on the top shelf. My grandmother had called me when I woke up this morning, telling me that she was out of her favorite kind of cereal. And, to test out my Porsche again, I drove to the grocery store to pick some up for her. Jasper, being the kind, Southern gentleman he was, came along with me… and was now silently mocking my "lack of height."

I heard Jasper sigh quietly from behind me when I still couldn't reach the cereal, and I suddenly felt his cold hands on my waist. "Here," he muttered before effortlessly lifting me up. I was just relieved that no one else was in the same aisle as we were as I immediately grabbed the cereal box and was gently lowered to the ground again.

"Thank you…" I grumbled in a disgruntled way, feeling some color rise to my cheeks as I began walking down the aisle toward the front of the store.

"You're welcome," Jasper laughed as he followed after me, winding his arm around my waist. "I'll do anything for you since you're-!"

"Vertically challenged?" I asked sarcastically. There was no denying that I was short.

Jasper laughed again, leaning down to kiss my head. "Well, I _was_ going to say since you're my girlfriend, but that works too."

"Ha. You're funny."

We finally made it to the check-out line, and while I dug in my Aerosmith bag for the money that Carlisle had lent me to buy the cereal and ignored the dream-like stares the woman behind the register was giving Jasper- it wasn't supposed to be _that_ kind of "check-out" aisle- I smiled slightly when I heard one of my favorite songs being played over the radio. It reminded me so much of my relationship with Jasper…

_"You can change your friends, your place in life_

_You can change your mind_

_We can change the things we say and do anytime_

_Oh no, but I think you'll find_

_That when you look inside your heart_

_Oh, baby, I'll be there…"_

"Ready, Jazz?" I asked when the woman handed me the bag with the cereal in it and my change, smiling fondly up at him as the song continued. I should have bought some condoms or something. _That_ would have taught that lady…

Jasper smiled in return and took my hand in his. "Let's go," he answered, leading me through the automatic doors and into the parking lot, not even noticing the looks of jealousy I was getting from the woman who had been checking him out. We reached my Porsche, and I unlocked it and threw the bag with the cereal in it into the backseat before climbing into the driver's seat and putting my seatbelt on while Jasper sat beside me. I then backed out of the parking space and pulled out onto the road, heading in the direction of my house.

"So, were you just talking to Carlisle last night about how you were worried about my safety with you?" I wondered. We were pretty much the only ones on the road, which I liked, especially for winter driving.

Jasper sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Yeah, pretty much," he told me, not meeting my gaze. I could tell that he was nervous…

But before I could question him further, I suddenly felt my body go rigid- a typical sign that I was about to see something. No… no… not now…

"Are you all right?" Jasper asked. His concern was obvious.

"I… I'm fine," I muttered in answer. But then, my vision faded completely, and I could feel my hands tighten around the wheel though I couldn't see them as I saw the glimpse into the future. Oh, God, not now. _Please_ not now…

"Alice?" I heard Jasper anxiously calling my name as though it was through a thick fog it was so distant, and I felt a sudden cold sensation on my cheek. "Alice! _Alice_!"

Finally, I was brought out of the vision and back to the present, feeling shaken since I couldn't forget what I had just seen even with Jasper's loving hand on my cheek. It would happen any minute now… "Jasper… I'm going to die," I whispered, my fingers not loosening their grip on the wheel as the truth hit me. It would happen too quickly to change…

Jasper's eyes narrowed with worry as he lowered his hand and leaned closer to me. "Alice, what-!"

"I'm going to die, Jasper!" I repeated with a fiercer tone, tears of frustration burning in my eyes as he placed his hand on my leg. I wasn't afraid of what was about to happen as my mind hurriedly tried to come up with a way to prevent it, but I was disheartened that Jasper didn't seem to understand. After all, I had faced worse over the summer when I encountered James. At least this would happen quickly and hopefully somewhat painlessly if I couldn't find a way to avoid it.

Before Jasper could continue to press me for an explanation, a loud horn blared from the road ahead. He quickly turned to look in front of us, an I heard a sharp intake of breath from him when he now saw what I had just seen.

It was now too late.

A large semi truck had slipped on a hidden icy patch on the road, and the long back was now turned on its side so that it covered both lanes as it continued to barrel toward us. This was it. I knew that there was nowhere I could take my car since the semi stretched across the entire road. In only a few seconds, it would hit us. Jasper would obviously survive the crash unless the car started on fire, but the impact would kill me instantly. My eyes slowly widened as my breath and heartbeat began to quicken, and I braced myself for the inevitable…

Suddenly, I shrieked when I was torn from behind the wheel and tossed into the passenger seat, closing my eyes when I hit my head on the window behind me. "Put on your seatbelt," Jasper ordered me anxiously, and I opened my eyes and saw that he was now behind the wheel. Trusting him completely, I slowly reached up for the seatbelt as I tried to straighten up, but I was too late when Jasper suddenly took the car off the road to avoid the collision. The semi truck missed us by inches. I screamed as I bounced around in the seat as we drove through a snow-covered field, and when we were finally able to come to a stop, I flew forward and hit my head on the dashboard.

"Jasper," I whispered, and that was the last thing I remembered.

**A/N**: And there's that one! A little darker, but hopefully still enjoyable. I was actually grocery shopping for my mom one day and I wondered what would happen if Alice and Jasper went grocery shopping. Hence, the part of this chapter, lol. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you! And… enjoy the preview. Just please don't kill me…

**Next Chapter**: _In the End_

(Jasper) _She didn't respond for a long moment, and I hurriedly took out my small phone to call Carlisle. But before I could begin to dial, I heard a loud sound from not too far away that sent a cold chill running through me. It was the sound of squealing tires, and I knew that the semi truck was soon going to crash…_

Xxx

(Jasper)_ I felt the intense heat from it on my back as we both fell to the road, and I lay on the hard ground as I took unnecessary gasps for air. My upper body was in searing pain from coming in contact with the flames, and I closed my eyes tightly as I tried to ignore it. The man beside me was now unconscious, and I took a deep breath to try to calm myself down._

Xxx

(Alice)_ Then, I inhaled sharply when I suddenly felt a pair of cold hands on my waist, slowly turning me around. I looked up at Jasper somewhat nervously, not being able to read his expression. He simply looked back down at me without saying a word as he gently pulled me even closer to him, and I leaned into his embrace. Then, he suddenly leaned down, his lips meeting mine in an intense kiss._

Xxx

(Alice) _"Alice, I do not want you with me."_

_These words felt like a knife piercing my heart. It was excruciating for the briefest moment, but then, I felt nothing. It was like I wasn't even existing anymore. "Well," I muttered, looking down at the snow around my feet. "If that's what you want…"_

"_It is."_

Xxx

(Jasper) _I finally came to a stop when I felt I was a safe enough distance from her, taking a deep breath. Was my life even worth living anymore? I wasn't sure…_

Xxx

(Alice) _I wasn't going home. He may have been taking me to my house, but it certainly wasn't my home. I didn't exactly know where home was. Home was getting farther and farther away with each step that Charlie took._

_Home was nonexistent now that Jasper was gone._


	5. Chapter 4: In the End

**Disclaimer**: Check previous chapters to know that these awesomeness characters aren't mine!

**A/N**: Hey, everyone! Wow, 60 reviews… You guys are amazing! A third story will be totally worth it! I think you guys will like it. I hope so, anyway. I haven't actually started writing it yet since this one isn't done yet, but the ideas are there. Okay, so this chapter will be jumping from Jasper's perspective to Alice's and go back and forth between the two. I thought it would be better this way. And yes, the chapter name is after the Linkin Park song, but the song I actually use in this chapter is "Stupify" by Disturbed, lol. Um, this chapter is sad, I'm just warning you all now. But, you probably already knew that from the preview. I did do research on it (namely rereading the part in "New Moon"), and it made me sad writing this. But, I hope you still enjoy it! Hold on, 'cause here we go!

_Chapter 4- In the End_

_Jasper POV_

_"I'm going to die, Jasper!"_

There was no way I was going to let that happen. Acting as quickly as I could, I yanked Alice out of her seatbelt and placed her rougher than I meant to in the passenger seat while I immediately got behind the wheel, not even bothering to put my seatbelt on. There was only one option now, and it was going to be a rough one.

"Put on your seatbelt," I ordered anxiously, concerned for her safety as I watched the semi truck draw nearer. I saw Alice begin to reach for the seatbelt, but she wasn't fast enough. I had to move now or else we would be hit. I had no other choice.

I took the car off the road, and the truck barely missed us.

We moved through a snow-covered field, and I bit my lip nervously when Alice bounced around in the seat beside me. I attempted to bring the car to a stop as gently as I could, but it wasn't enough, and I winced when Alice flew forward and hit her head on the dashboard.

"Jasper…" she whispered before she slipped into unconsciousness.

I immediately shut the car off and turned to her. "Alice," I muttered anxiously, placing my hand on her cheek as I gently shook her. "Alice!"

She didn't respond for a long moment, and I hurriedly took out my small phone to call Carlisle. But before I could begin to dial, I heard a loud sound from not too far away that sent a cold chill running through me. It was the sound of squealing tires, and I knew that the semi truck was soon going to crash…

"…Jazz…"

"Alice!" I sighed with relief when I saw that she was slowly beginning to wake up and was now looking up at me through dazed eyes. She smiled slightly when she saw me, but then a panicked look crossed her face when her emotions left her. "Alice, what is it? What do you see?" I knew she was having another vision.

Another quick moment went by before Alice came back to the present, and she caught me off guard when she suddenly tried to sit up. "Alice…"

"That man's going to die, Jazz," Alice said anxiously as she tried to get past my restraining hands.

"What man, Alice?" Her sudden difference in behavior was alarming me, and I immediately feared that it might have resulted from hitting her head. What could she have possibly seen to make her act like this?

Alice sighed with frustration when she realized she couldn't get by me. "The semi truck driver," she explained hurriedly. "Jazz, we have to do something."

I looked back at her with understanding, but before I could say anything more, I heard an ear splitting crash from the road behind us. I knew that this was what Alice had seen.

"Please, Jazz."

Knowing that she would be distraught if I simply allowed that man to die, I sighed as I slowly nodded. I didn't like the idea of having an innocent life be taken if it could be prevented either. "All right," I said, handing her my phone as I gently kissed her forehead. "All right. I'll take care of it. Stay here and call Carlisle."

Alice smiled at me gratefully before she quickly dialed Carlisle's number and brought the phone to her ear. "Be careful," she whispered.

"I will. Don't worry." I climbed out of the car then and shut the door behind me before running toward the road at an inhuman speed. Thankfully, no one was around at the time, so I could hopefully reach the man in time to get him out of the truck. But even before the totaled vehicle came into sight, the strong smell of smoke assaulted my senses. Damn! I knew that the truck had started on fire, which would make this much more difficult.

When the truck finally came into sight, I slowed to a stop when I saw the crackling flames consuming the twisted heap of metal. I searched for the man anxiously, finally finding him trapped behind the wheel due to his seatbelt. I would have to cut him loose. The only problem was that he was in a panic, and it would be difficult to free him in this state unless I used my ability, which I hated to do on humans. Their minds were so much different than a vampire's- they were much more fragile.

But I had no other option if I wanted to get him out alive.

Taking a deep breath, I rushed up to the truck, watching the struggling man carefully as I tried to figure out the best way to get him out. When his panicked eyes landed on me, his movements to escape intensified. "Help me… please… _help me_!"

"I will," I told him as calmly and reassuringly as I could. "But I need you to relax now in order for me to do that."

The man appeared to be calming down without my ability, but as I began to reach for him, sparks suddenly flew from beside him, and I had to duck away to avoid being hit. Though we were much stronger than humans, fire was very deadly to us. The man cried out when his jacket was set on fire, and I knew that I had to act now or he would die, fire or not.

Sighing, I jumped up to the seat where he was, holding back a scream as the flames licked my arms while I attempted to take the man from his seatbelt. His heightened fear hit me in continuous, overpowering waves, so I sent calm ones back in his direction as strong as I dared. His struggling ceased, and I ripped the seatbelt cleanly in half and pulled him out of the truck with me. This time, I wasn't able to completely hold back a cry when the flames skimmed my neck and chest while I smothered the flames eating away at his jacket.

Then, putting his arm around my neck to support him, I began to lead him away from the truck, and the man cried out when there was a sudden loud explosion behind us, and the truck was completely consumed by flames.

I felt the intense heat from it on my back as we both fell to the road, and I lay on the hard ground as I took unnecessary gasps for air. My upper body was in searing pain from coming in contact with the fire, and I closed my eyes tightly as I tried to ignore it. The man beside me was now unconscious, and I took a deep breath to try to calm myself down.

"Jasper, are you all right?"

That was not the voice I expected to hear. I opened my eyes and slowly turned onto my back, wincing in pain from the burns. But I was comforted by the fact that I had at least done what Alice wanted…

"Don't move," Carlisle cautioned gently, restraining me as he began to inspect my arms, neck, and the exposed parts of my chest that had come in contact with the flames. "You'll be in some pain for a while, I'm afraid."

"I'll be fine." Not wanting to appear as though they hurt too badly, I slowly sat up, fighting to hold back a cry. But, I made it all the way up with some help from Carlisle, and I gave him a small smile. "Thank you. But I'm more concerned about this human." The man was still unconscious, his face and other areas of his exposed skin covered in burns, cuts, and bruises.

Carlisle returned the smile. "Yes, but there is an ambulance on the way to take care of this man. He'll be just fine after treatment," he replied. "But you were fortunate to get out with only these small burns."

"I'm fine, Carlisle," I repeated, though I was grateful for his concern. "They're not severe."

"Yes, but they easily could have been," Carlisle muttered, seeming to be deep in thought. I could feel the slight fear behind his calm that the burns I had acquired could have been much worse, and there was nothing he could have done about it. I imagined that it was all part of being a father. "Anyhow, why don't you get Alice while I stay with him and wait for the ambulance. I can check for her injuries here."

"All right. We'll be here shortly." I slowly got to my feet, ignoring the pain from my shirt running over the burns on my upper body. Getting another small smile from Carlisle, I turned from him and ran for the field at an inhuman pace. I was anxious to see her again, to make sure that she was all right. I had dreaded leaving her to save the driver of the truck when I knew she was in pain, but the look in her eyes had been so pleading that I had to do what she asked. Besides, it had been the right thing to do.

But when I drew nearer to the place where I had left her, I slowed my pace to a stop when I saw Alice leaning against the side of the car, waiting anxiously for me to return. I sighed heavily, pushing some stray strands of hair out of my eyes. Could I really bring myself to do what Carlisle and I had discussed last night? I wasn't sure, but I couldn't make my decision yet or else Alice would know about it and try to stop me. I couldn't let that happen. I knew that it would be the best thing for her, but I wasn't sure if I had the strength to do what I now had to do.

I had to. But though I knew it would destroy both of us, I knew the main reason I had to do it was because I loved her.

* * *

_Alice POV_

After Carlisle checked over my injuries at the scene of the accident, I was relieved to hear that I didn't have any serious head trauma- the worst of my diagnosis was that I had slight disorientation from hitting my head. I could deal with that. I had gone through worse. And since we didn't have to stay there while Carlisle waited for the ambulance, Jasper pushed my car back onto the road- it was still in great condition- before driving me home. It was a silent drive. Jasper kept his eyes on the road ahead, not even once glancing at me, and I knew that there was something that was greatly bothering him. I just wasn't sure what it was.

The only clue I had was the snippet of conversation I had caught that he had with Carlisle before we left. After the Porsche was back on the road and Jasper was about to climb into the car behind the wheel, Carlisle approached us and pulled him aside as they spoke in soft tones. I couldn't hear everything, but what I did hear confused me.

"Jasper, are you going-!"

"I have to, Carlisle. It's the best way."

"All right…"

What was Jasper going to do that was the "best way?" I wasn't sure, but I had the feeling that I would find out soon as Jasper pulled into my driveway. He turned off the car, and we sat in mere silence for a time that seemed to stretch on forever. I then unbuckled my seatbelt as quietly as I could so I wouldn't disturb him while I looked over at him, able to tell that he was deep in thought, almost as if he was preparing himself for something or having some sort of internal battle. I was feeling very uneasy, which was an emotion that I had never felt while around him before.

"I think I'll bring my grandmother's cereal in," I finally whispered, almost afraid to break the tense silence. Jasper glanced over at me and watched with a vacant look as I reached into the backseat and grabbed the bag before climbing out of the car and walking slowly up to the house so that I wouldn't slip on the ice. Jasper slowly got out of the car and silently followed behind me.

"Grandma, I'm home!" I announced after I unlocked the door and stepped inside the house. But I was confused when I got no response and saw that all of the lights in the house were turned off. "That's odd…"

"Check the kitchen," Jasper muttered as he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

Sighing, I slipped my shoes off and walked into the kitchen like he suggested, setting the bag with the cereal in it on the counter before seeing the note that was lying on the table. I slowly walked over and picked it up, able to read my grandmother's neat handwriting in the dim light coming in through the window.

I had to run some errands, but I'll be back before dinner. I love you!

I laughed a little as I set the note back on the table, leaning against it. I wondered why my grandmother had told me to pick up her cereal if she was planning on running errands anyway. Oh, well…

Then, I inhaled sharply when I suddenly felt a pair of cold hands on my waist, slowly turning me around. I looked up at Jasper somewhat nervously, not being able to read his expression. He simply looked back down at me without saying a word as he gently pulled me even closer to him, and I leaned into his embrace. Then, he suddenly leaned down, his lips meeting mine in an intense kiss.

I returned it with even more intensity, my mind completely blown by the sudden passion behind his simple action. Normally, he was so gentle when he kissed me. Now, it felt as though this was the last time he would ever get the chance to…

But, I didn't mind as I wrapped my arms around his neck as I broke away to breathe since I was completely out of breath. Jasper's cool breath made me shiver as he lingered near me, and then he easily lifted me up and sat me on the table. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he moved forward so there was no space between us, and his cold lips moved to my neck as his hand moved to the upper part of my leg.

Sighing, I closed my eyes as Jasper's lips continued to move over my neck, and I gasped when his teeth suddenly ran lightly over my throat, almost teasingly. Was he really thinking of…? That would explain why he had been acting so strange… I wasn't sure, but I lost my train of thought as his lips met mine again, just as intense as before. Then, my heart began to speed up when Jasper tried to deepen it, and I allowed him to. He slowly leaned forward so that I was now lying on my back and he was propped lightly over me as he leaned on the table. My heart was racing now as his other hand began to play with the bottom of my shirt, his cold fingers brushing over my stomach. In response, my hands moved to the buttons of Jasper's shirt as I undid the top couple of them, running my fingers over his chest as I strayed away from the burns Carlisle warned me about.

Jasper intensified the kiss at my touch, running his hand a little further up my side. But then, I had to break away to breathe again, and he moved back to my neck. As his lips moved over my throat, I couldn't help but notice that though his actions were more passionate than usual, they were also very tense.

"What's wrong, Jazz?" I asked quietly, taking a deep breath.

"What do you mean?" Jasper wondered, kissing the soft spot right beneath my chin before raising his gaze to meet mine.

"Well, not only are you a bit more… passionate than usual, but you also seem very tense," I told him quietly. "And don't tell me that nothing is wrong- I know there is. It almost feels as though you think you'll never see me again or something. I'm not going anywhere…"

Jasper sighed as he immediately backed away from me, a look of regret crossing his features as though he thought he should not have done what he had just done, and I watched with confusion as he began to walk toward the front door without another word. I sighed also as I jumped off the table, grabbing my heavy coat from the living room couch and slipping it on before following him outside. Looking around, I saw that he had started walking toward the small forest behind my house. I ran after him, finding it slightly difficult to keep up due to the high snow.

Finally, Jasper stopped when he was a good ways into the trees, and I reached him a few minutes later, out of breath. As I looked around curiously, I noticed that the tree on my right was familiar to me, and I soon recognized it to be the same tree from the dream I had last night… the one I was sitting at when I was a little girl when the strange man found me…

Once I was able to speak, I straightened up and looked at Jasper, crossing my arms in front of me. "What's going on, Jazz?"

He didn't turn to look at me. In fact, he didn't seem to acknowledge my existence at all. Starting to feel anxious now, I took a couple of steps toward him, but I stopped when I heard his sudden, quiet voice.

"We are leaving, Alice."

"Where… where are we going?" I didn't think that I was included in this "we," but I just had to know for sure…

"No, Alice." Jasper slowly turned to face me, his expression… cold. I had never seen him look at me like that before… It terrified me. "When I say _we_, I mean my family and your brothers."

Edward and Emmett were leaving too? I had been having the nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen, but I never expected _this_! I never imagined losing my entire family… "Wh-when are you coming back?" I muttered shakily. They had to come back… right?

Jasper sighed. "We're not coming back, Alice, at least not during your lifetime," he said quietly, his golden eyes holding no warmth for me as they usually did. "There are too many questions involving the change in your brothers, and it's time we moved on for our ages as well. We can't stay in one place for very long or people will get suspicious."

Questions? "I haven't heard any questions," I muttered, not including Jessica as I hoped- no, _prayed_- that I could convince him to stay. What was my life worth without Jasper now?

"Carlisle has," Jasper told me solemnly. "Alice, please, don't make this any harder than it needs to be…"

"Jasper, please don't do this," I begged in a whisper as I took a couple of more steps toward him. I could feel tears coming to my eyes, but I forced them back. I could not afford to lose my composure now. "Please…"

"I am not the right one for you, Alice, I've come to realize that. Believe me when I saw that this is for the best," Jasper replied, his face an expressionless mask. "I promise that you will never see me again. It will be like I was never a part of your life."

"I've already told you that I don't care," I pressed anxiously. I couldn't lose Jasper now. Not after all we've been through… "I don't mind the danger. I don't mind the risk. I don't mind the-!"

"Alice, I do not want you with me."

Those words felt like a knife piercing my heart. It was excruciating for the briefest moment, but then, I felt nothing. It was like I wasn't even existing anymore. "Well," I muttered, looking down at the snow around my feet. "If that's what you want…"

"It is." There was no hesitation in Jasper's voice, no faltering. He truly meant what he was saying… "I'm ending it, Alice. This has gone on for much too long. It was probably something that shouldn't have even started."

"Just… just go then," I murmured, not able to stop the tears from reaching my eyes this time as I kicked some of the snow in front of me. "Go since I mean so little to you…" I had no idea what I was even saying anymore. I just could not accept what I was hearing…

"Take care of yourself, Alice."

This nearly silent statement caught me off guard, and I quickly looked up. Jasper slowly turned away from me, his eyes still dark and cold, and began to walk deeper into the forest without another word.

But despite the emotionless façade he was trying to pull off, I had picked up some concern in those last five words. A tear finally fell from my eye, and I whispered, knowing that he could hear me, "I love you."

My heart broke completely in two and almost felt as though it stopped beating when he did not say it in return.

"Jasper!" My voice quickly rose as I took another step after his retreating form, stumbling a little. "_Jasper_!"

But, it did no good. Jasper only continued to walk away from me, and then, he was gone from sight.

_"Why do you like playin' around with my_

_Narrow scope of reality?_

_I can feel it all start slippin'_

_I think I'm breaking down…"_

Tears flowed freely from my eyes now as I turned my back on the path he had just disappeared on. I was alone. I was empty. What reason did I even have for living now? My life had just gone down that path and left me behind.

Feeling completely numb, I slowly walked over to the tree that I had seen in my dream and sat in the snow at its base, leaning my head back against its sturdy trunk as I closed my eyes. The coldness didn't bother me. In fact, I didn't even feel it at all.

But as I floated in and out of consciousness, I had to wonder if that same man from my past that I didn't remember would find me here again this time. As I stared blankly down the path as my eyes began to close, I almost imagined seeing him coming for me…

_"Why do you like playin' around with my_

_Narrow scope of reality?_

_I can feel it all start slippin' away…"_

* * *

_Jasper POV_

"_I love you too, Alice."_

I heard her broken words. I felt her tears. But I could not bring myself to utter the same words or even look back at her as I hurried along to meet my family. A clean break would be best for both of us. I had no other option. I was too much of a threat to her. Without me to endanger her, she would be able to live a long and normal life.

For one moment, I had thought that I did not have the strength to leave her. Back at the house, I was almost tempted to turn her into one of us so I could keep her by my side forever. But that would have raised more problems, many problems that she was not yet ready to face. I could not be that selfish and cause her to go through that…

Her heart had been completely crushed, as had mine. But it was for the best, I knew it was. She had the rest of her life ahead of her for her heart to mend and to forget about me. The same could not be said for a vampire.

I finally came to a stop when I felt I was a safe enough distance away from her, taking a deep breath. Was my life even worth living anymore? I wasn't sure…

No matter what, I did know that my life would never be complete again without her with me…

But one thing I could not overlook, however, was the irony in the spot where I had made my departure from her. It was a significant spot for Alice, and it was now the place that I had left her, my life, behind.

* * *

_Alice POV_

I wasn't sure how long I had sat against the tree, but I was suddenly woken by a hand shaking my shoulder. I slowly opened my eyes with a groan, and I saw a man with dark hair and a dark mustache wearing a police uniform looking back down at me. When he saw that I was finally awake, a small smile appeared on his face.

"Alice?" he asked gently. When I numbly nodded, his smile broadened. "I'm Chief Charlie Swan. I'm going to bring you home, Alice."

_Home._ Home where? Home to my grandmother? That wasn't home anymore…

I allowed Charlie to easily pick me up into his arms, and I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes as he began to walk down the trail that led out of the forest. I wasn't going home. He may have been taking me to my house, but it certainly wasn't my home. Now, I didn't know exactly where my home was. Home was getting farther and farther away with each step that Charlie took.

Home was nonexistent now that Jasper was gone.

**A/N**: Talk about sad, huh? I'm sorry, but I had to do this since it's crucial to the story. But, don't worry! This is a cross between "New Moon" and "Eclipse," so you will see a lot more of Jasper. And, there is some major foreshadowing in some places in this chapter. They're very subtle, so you'd have to look really closely to catch it. The preview for the next chapter is going to be short because it's a short chapter, lol. It's actually going to be a short little piece before I do the whole month thing. But anyway, thank you for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated! Thank you! Enjoy this short little preview!

**Next Chapter**: _My Immortal_

_Jasper…_

_Every memory of you is painful. But there is not one moment that goes by where I don't hope and pray that one morning, I will wake up and you will be there beside me._

_I cannot easily will away this pain…_

_Did you know that this would happen, Jasper? Did you know that leaving me behind would completely crush me, would completely smite my existence?_

_Are you hurting too? Are you bleeding too?_


	6. Chapter 5: My Immortal

**Disclaimer**: Nope! Characters are not mine! Except for the grandmother.

**A/N**: Hey! Wow, I'm glad everyone liked the incredibly sad chapter. Yes, it was very hard for me to write. Now, however, this chapter is going to be short. Kind of like an aftermath type thing. But, there will also be no preview at the end, which I will explain after the chapter. The song used is "My Immortal" by Evanescence. I hope you enjoy this chapter, though it is shorter. They will get longer again soon! Thank you for your reviews, and enjoy this one!

_Chapter 5- My Immortal_

_I was in a dark room, unable to see anything around me. I was terrified. I was suffocating. Where was I?_

_Suddenly, a hand grabbed my arm roughly from out of the darkness, and I screamed as I tried to struggle out of its iron grip without success. Why was this happening to me? I wasn't sick! Nothing was wrong with me!_

_When the owner of the hand picked up my small, writhing body into his arms, my attempts to escape intensified. I knew that I could not get away from this hand on my own, and I cried out, "Cheshire!"_

* * *

_"Cheshire!"_

The cry continued to ring in my ears as I quickly opened my eyes and looked around me. My body was covered in a cold sweat, and I was gasping for air, but I began to calm down slightly when I realized that I was in the safety of my own room. Had I really just said that aloud? Who was Cheshire?

Then, I gasped when I saw slight movement at the foot of my bed, and when my vision finally focused, my eyes widened when I saw who was standing in the light of the moon's gentle rays.

"Jasper…"

I quickly sat up and switched on the desk lamp beside me, but when I turned back to the end of the bed, my smile vanished when I saw that he was no longer there. Was I missing him so terribly that I was now imagining him being here with me when he really wasn't?

_"And if you have to leave_

_I wish that you would just leave_

_Because your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone…"_

Jasper…

Every memory of you is painful. But there is not a moment that goes by where I don't hope and pray that one morning, I will wake up and you will be there beside me.

I cannot easily will away this pain…

Did you know that this would happen, Jasper? Did you know that leaving me behind would completely crush me, would completely smite my existence?

Are you hurting too? Are you bleeding too?

_"These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just so much that time cannot erase…"_

I barely noticed when my bedroom door opened and my grandmother walked in wearing her pink robe, coming over and sitting down beside me on the bed. "Alice, are you all right, honey?" she asked with concern, running her hand through my short, dark hair. " I thought I heard you call out for someone. Were you having a nightmare?"

I didn't answer her. Instead, I slowly looked over at her for a long moment before I started to cry. Alarmed, my grandmother immediately pulled me into an embrace as she held me close to her, and I felt slightly comforted by the softness of her robe.

"Oh, Alice…"

_"When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears…"_

I remembered the times that Jasper had been there with me when I cried, always being there to comfort me. He promised he would always be there…

_"When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears…"_

Jasper had always been with me during countless nightmares and visions, and each time, he would bring me out of them and be my light in the prevailing darkness. He promised he would always be there…

_"And I held your hand through all of these years…"_

"I want him, Grandma," I whispered through my tears, grateful for her protective arms.

My grandmother kissed me on top of my head, and I knew that she knew who I was talking about by the way her arms tightened even more around me. "I know, Alice," she muttered as she began to rub soothing circles into my back. "I know."

Her calmness made me feel slightly better, but I knew it wouldn't change anything. I still knew the inevitable truth.

Jasper would not be coming back.

_"But you still have all of me…"_

**A/N**: All right, I'm afraid that's it for this one. Sorry it's so short, but it's supposed to be. Now, there isn't going to be a preview thing for this because the next part is that whole month part. But, instead of just putting the month names like Stephenie Meyer does, I'm putting some song lyrics to it. Just a little for each. Kind of like which stage Alice is at during her spiraling depression. So I don't have to put them in the next chapters, the song titles that I'm using will be listed below. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!

_January_: "All Around Me" by Flyleaf

_February_: "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson

_March_: "Hotel California" by the Eagles

_April_: "Numb" by Linkin Park


	7. January

**_January_**

"_You said you would never leave me_

_I believe you_

_I believe…"_


	8. February

_**February**_

_"Because of you_

_I never stray too far from the sidewalk_

_Because of you_

_I learn to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt…"_


	9. March

_**March**_

_"Some dance to remember_

_Some dance to forget…"_


	10. April

_**April**_

_"I've become so numb_

_I can't feel you there_

_Become so tired_

_So much more aware…"_


	11. Chapter 6: Bring Me to Life

_Chapter 6- Bring Me to Life_

"_Wake me up inside_

_Wake me up inside_

_Call my name and save me from the dark…"_

Jasper was gone. I was just going to have to accept that. Time went on, and I would have to follow. How time simply went on when each breath was forced, when each heartbeat was painful, I wasn't sure. But time still pushed forward, its rhythm the ever-steady pulse of the human existence. It would not slow only for me, so I would have to keep up.

It is said that time heals all wounds, even mine.

After all, this was not the first time that I had lost someone close to my heart.

_"Bid my blood to run before I come undone_

_Save me from the nothing I've become…"_


	12. Chapter 7: Fun and Danger at La Push

**Disclaimer**: None of the characters are mine, and neither are the lyrics I used in the past chapters. In this one, "Taking Over Me" by Evanescence does not belong to me either.

**A/N**: Hey, everyone! Wow, thanks for all the reviews on the last quick updates! You guys rock! This chapter is back to its normal length, so there's a lot more to enjoy. It's a bit more lighthearted, even though Jasper isn't in it. Before I got to this part, I was afraid that from here until Jasper comes back was going to be really hard to write. But, I'm actually having a lot of fun with it, especially with Sam and Emily's characters. I really like exploring them more. I think you guys will like it too. So, shall we go to La Push then?

_Chapter 7- Fun and Danger at La Push_

I slowly opened my eyes when soft sunlight hit them through my curtains, and I took a deep breath as I sat up and stretched. After my vision cleared, I glanced at the glowing clock beside my bed, and I saw that it was half after nine. You had to love spring break.

With a sigh, I climbed out of bed and picked up my cell phone off my dresser. I had started leaving it on all night in case I got any calls or texts from anyone in hopes that maybe, just _maybe_, Jasper called me. It had been four months since he left. There had been no calls. There had been no contact whatsoever. And it appeared this morning would be the same as all the others. There were no voice messages. There were no texts.

I placed my phone back on the dresser with another sigh before leaving my room, not even looking at Edward or Emmett's empty rooms as I passed them and went downstairs. I had avoided looking into these rooms, ignored them even. Otherwise, the memories would be too painful.

My grandmother was sitting on the couch watching the morning news, and she glanced back at me when I entered the living room. "It's good to see you up, honey, even though you are still in your pajamas," she said.

"Yeah, well, it's spring break, Grandma," I replied with no feeling as I trudged into the kitchen.

I heard my grandmother sigh. I realized that I had changed a lot over the last four months since Jasper left, and she was getting worried about me. "Well, I left some scrambled eggs on the table for you. Just heat them up if you need to, dear."

"All right, Grandma. Thanks." I absently picked up the bowl of scrambled eggs that she had left out and put it in the microwave, setting a time before pushing the start button. I then pulled a fork out of the drawer and set it on the table before going to the refrigerator and pouring myself a glass of milk. The eggs were done a couple of seconds later since they didn't need to be there long, and I took them out and sat at the table with them, taking a long sip of milk before beginning to actually eat them.

I sat in silence for a while, merely staring at the clock on the wall ahead of me as I watched time continue to inch forward. It was an amazing thing, really, how time continued to move on when my world felt like it was standing still.

My grandmother cautiously came into the kitchen then and sat down in the chair beside me. "Alice, honey… are you all right?" It was a rhetorical question. She knew what my answer was going to be, even though it was a lie.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I muttered as I finished off my eggs and leaned back in my chair.

"Alice, it's spring break," she said, rubbing my back. "It's not good for you to be sitting around the house doing nothing all day. Why don't you go out and do something with your friends?"

I sighed. "I… I guess I could…"

"That's my girl." My grandmother gave me a smile as she stood up and took my dishes from me. "Getting out will be good for you."

I smiled and nodded to appease her, but I still wasn't too sure. But, I was willing to try anything to distract myself from the constant memories of him…

"It's a shame that the Cullens had to leave. Do you know when they'll be coming back?" I could hear the sadness in her tone for the departure of Edward and Emmett also.

My grandmother's words brought back an onslaught of painful memories, but no tears fell this time. I wouldn't be surprised if I had wasted the rest of my life's supply of tears over the past four months. "I don't think they'll be coming back, Grandma," I told her quietly as I stood up from the table. "It was something about Carlisle's work…" Before she could respond to this, however, I left the kitchen and hurried back up the stairs. I didn't want to talk about the Cullens anymore…

But as I passed Edward's room on the way to mine, I gasped and stopped when I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look back into the room, and I saw that Edward and Emmett were sitting on the bed, looking back at me with concern in their golden eyes. I rubbed my eyes to make sure that I wasn't just seeing things, but when I opened them again, my brothers were gone.

Great. Clearly, Jasper wasn't the only one I was going to be imagining…

When would these hallucinations stop? I didn't know the answer to that, but I hoped it would be soon. I didn't know how much more of this I could take before I completely lost my sanity.

I slowly entered my room then and shut the door, sighing as I collapsed onto my bed. Mina jumped up onto it a minute later and curled up on my stomach, purring softly. I scratched her head absently as I stared blankly out the window. She had been a lot more at ease now that Jasper wasn't there.

Suddenly, I gasped and quickly sat up, scaring Mina away from me, when someone appeared on the tree branch outside of my window. My heart began to slow back to its normal rate when I recognized who it was as I got off the bed and opened the window.

"Jake, what are you doing?"

The smiling face of Jacob Black was looking back at me. He had called a few times over the year, and I had seen him a couple of times, but this was the first time he had made this kind of entrance before. "I came to check up on you to see how you were doing," he answered from where he was perched on the branch. "You okay, Ali?"

I tried to smile back at him as best as I could as I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," I told him. "I'm okay."

But Jacob didn't seem to believe me. "You're in pain, Ali, I can see it clearly in your eyes," he muttered gently. "It's that bloodsucker's fault…"

"I'm _fine_, Jake," I repeated firmly. It had been four months already. I had survived this long…

"All right, Ali. I believe you," Jacob said, though I could tell he didn't. "But the other reason I came here is I was wondering if you were doing anything today."

"No, I'm not," I replied, wondering why he hadn't just called like usual. "Why?"

Jacob smiled again. "Sam's getting married today," he explained, and I couldn't help but smile myself. I remembered Sam well from the camp also. "I was wondering if you would like to spend the day at the reservation with us. You know, take a look around, get to meet everyone… That kind of stuff."

"Sure, that sounds fun, Jake." I'm glad that Jacob seemed to be past his imprinting thing that was prominent at the camp and that we were just good friends. "Just let me get changed. You should probably head downstairs to talk to my grandmother so she doesn't get suspicious. I'll be down in a minute." I didn't wan my grandmother to know that the majority of my friends had unnatural abilities.

"Okay. See you soon, Ali."

I watched Jacob jump off the branch with a slight shake of my head as I went to my closet to pick out an outfit for the day. What to wear for a wedding? I wished I could have had more notice since I had absolutely nothing that I could wear. I would just have to go with a nice shirt and mid-length pants, I guess… It was the best I could do with such short notice. And spending the day with Jacob and the rest of the wolves should keep my mind off the thoughts that now refused to leave my mind.

At least, I hoped it would.

* * *

"All right. Take a left here. That will take you to the reservation."

I was sitting behind the wheel of my Porsche with Jacob in the passenger seat beside me, guiding me toward the Quileute reservation. We had been on a road that was winding through the trees for a long while, and now the road was beginning to take us downhill. I was glad that Jacob knew where we were going because I had absolutely no idea where we even were.

But I was marveled by the sight that was now before me. The high cliff that we had just passed overlooked a rough ocean where waves splashed up along a small beach. I slowed when I came to the bottom of the hill, looking left and right down the street I had come to. "Which way?" I was really liking this reservation…

"Go right," Jacob told me. "Sam lives toward the end of the street."

The house that ended up being my destination was slightly larger than some of the ones I had seen, but it still seemed just as "homey." I parked on the street since I didn't feel comfortable parking in the driveway- though Jacob told me I could- and locked the car up before we headed toward the house.

"The wedding actually isn't until this evening," Jacob said as we walked on the narrow path that led up to the door, some flowers beginning to bloom on either side of us. "But, I figured I'd bring you here early. You know, to show you around the reservation a bit."

"I'm glad you did," I replied with a smile as we stepped up onto the small porch. "This place is incredible!"

"You really like it?" Jacob returned the smile when I nodded as he reached out to knock on the door. But before he actually could, the door opened to reveal four darker-skinned boys on the other side, all wearing swimming trunks and had a towel resting over their shoulders.

"Hey, I'm glad you guys made it!" Sam greeted cheerfully. "It's good to see you again, Alice."

"You too, Sam." I smiled broadly as I shook his hand. "Congratulations, by the way!"

"Thank you."

Then, my eyes widened in shock when another of the boy's arms wrapped around me in a tight hug, and I couldn't help but smile as I laughed a little. "It's good to see you too, Seth."

Seth smiled broadly as he released me before he turned to the other two boys behind him, who I recognized from the camp but didn't know by name. One was tall and skinny while the other was shorter and slightly larger set. "Alice, this is Embry," he said, gesturing to the taller boy first. "And this is Quil."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Quil, the shorter boy, said while Embry simply nodded at me. He was friendly…

"The pleasure's mine," I replied politely. They both smiled.

"Jake, we're going to go cliff diving," Seth told us with excitement as he turned his attention back to us. "You and Alice should come along."

"Cliff diving?" I asked, looking up at Jacob curiously. I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that…

Jacob smiled. "Sure, that sounds like fun," he replied, and Seth, Quil, and Embry stepped outside with us while Sam stayed in the doorway. "I just need to stop home and get my trunks. Could Alice stay here with Emily for a bit, Sam?"

"Of course." Sam nodded into the house, and I followed him inside while the rest of the teens headed away from the house. He walked me through a comfortable, decent-sized living room before bringing me into the kitchen, where we were instantly met with the smell of chocolate chip cookies.

Sam smiled and laughed a little as he looked at a woman who was standing in front of the oven wearing oven mitts and an apron, her black hair tied back behind her head in a loose bun. "You shouldn't have to be cooking today, Emily. It's a special day."

"Well, these are for the reception after," the woman, whose name I guess was Emily, replied without turning around as she checked on her baking treats. "You know how everyone feels about my cookies.

"The finest on the reservation," Sam supplied, his smile still lingering as he looked at the woman with compassion. This must have been the lucky bride.

Emily laughed a little. "I thought you were heading out to the cliffs with the rest of the boys."

"I am. But we ran into Jacob and his friend Alice on our way out. Jacob has to stop by his house for a little while, and Alice is going to stay here until he comes back if that's all right with you."

"Oh. We have company?" Emily finally turned around, and my breath caught in my chest when I saw that there were four scars running across her face. I hoped that I hadn't made a big deal about it since she was still undoubtedly a beautiful woman. "Of course it's all right. I'm sorry, dear. I didn't realize you were here."

"That's all right," I said with a smile. "I hope I'm not intruding."

"Of course not. It's a pleasure to have you here, Alice. I've heard so much about you from my boys." Emily crossed the kitchen, taking off her oven mitts as she came over to us and hugged me quickly before she turned to Sam. "You be careful out on those cliffs. There's supposed to be a wedding today, not a funeral."

"I will. I always am, you know that." Sam smiled at his fiancée before meeting her lips in a light, gentle kiss. Then, he nodded to me. "I'll see you in a few minutes, Alice," he muttered before he turned and left the kitchen.

Once he was gone, Emily turned and smiled at me again. "Would you like to sample a cookie while you wait?" she asked.

"Sure," I answered with a nod. They certainly smelled delicious.

"Good. Have a seat at the table, dear."

I did as she told me, watching as Emily went back to the oven and turned off the heat before slipping her oven mitts back on and pulling out the pan of cookies. They looked just as good as they smelled. She set them on the counter, giving them a few seconds to cool as she went to the refrigerator to pour me a glass of milk. Then, she used a spatula to carefully lift one of the cookies off the pan and set it on a napkin before placing it and the milk on the table in front of me.

"Thank you," I said as she sat down in the chair across from me.

"Sure, dear," Emily replied. "Let me know what you think."

I nodded as I carefully picked up the cookie since it was still hot- but they were the best that way- and took a small bite. Sam had said they were the finest on the reservation. I certainly believed that claim. It was the best chocolate chip cookie that I had ever had. "These are amazing!" I told her truthfully.

Emily smiled. "Thank you. It's an old family recipe. I'm glad you like it. But tell me, why are you going cliff diving with the boys? You don't seem to be the extreme sports type to me."

"I'm not even exactly sure what cliff diving is," I muttered, taking another bite of my cookie. "I'm just kind of along for the ride, I guess."

"It's exactly what it sounds like, dear," Emily explained, a worried glint in her eye now. "You dive off the cliff at the edge of the reservation into the ocean below. Sam does it all of the time. Even though he tells me he's always careful, I wish he wouldn't. It's so dangerous…"

My face paled at the thought of the high cliff that I had seen while driving into the reservation and the crashing waves far below. "Well, there's no way that I'm going to do that," I told her, taking a sip of milk. "I'll just watch from the sidelines, I think."

"That would be the smart thing to do, honey," Emily murmured, seeming to be deep in thought. "Sam could never get me to go cliff diving either. It was just never my thing…"

I finished off my cookie in silenced and looked at her curiously. Though she was undeniably beautiful, I couldn't help but wonder where she had gotten those scars. Emily noticed my gaze and sighed heavily, seeming to know what was on my mind.

"I know they're not pretty…"

"Oh, no. I'm sorry," I muttered, feeling embarrassed as I took another quick sip of milk. "I didn't mean to stare. I mean-!"

"No, it's all right, Alice," Emily assured me with a slight smile. "I know they stand out so much…"

"I'm sorry…" That was all I could bring myself to say to her since I felt ashamed about being caught staring at her scars. I hadn't meant to. I just couldn't help but be curious.

Emily smiled again as she reached forward and placed her hand lightly on top of mine. I looked back up at her, surprised by the sudden warm action. "These scars have been a part of me for years," she told me, and the compassion in her voice caught me off guard. "In a way, these are a way of connecting me to Sam."

"What do you mean?" I asked quietly.

"Well, you see, Sam and I have been together for six years now," Emily answered, and I could tell that these were memories that she treasured. "Before I met him, he dated a girl named Leah Clearwater. I'm sure you met her at the camp in Montana."

I nodded. I remembered Leah all right. She was the only one of the group that didn't seem to like me for some reason.

"But then, he imprinted on me instead, and Leah has been… having negative feelings about the situation ever since," Emily continued. "Sam was one of the sweetest boys that I had ever met, and I loved the thought that I would be with him for the rest of my life. But the one thing you have to realize about young wolves is that their emotions get out of control, and they can change very easily into their wolf forms if they are angered. I guess you could say that I was around Sam in the wrong place at the wrong time."

My eyes widened with realization. "Same gave these to you?"

Emily nodded. "Yes, but I was never angry at him for it, even though nothing could be done to restore my face. It was not I that he was angry with. Instead, it was Leah, and I had tried to intervene to stop him from losing control at her. I was just a little too late. But I know that he would never have done this to me intentionally. It was just an unfortunate accident. But it proves just how strong our love truly is, and that is why I do not mind these scars."

I looked at Emily in awe. The love between her and Sam was definitely a force to be reckoned with. But yet, there was that risk in their relationship that he was a danger to her. They looked past that threat, and today, they were getting married and about to embark on their life journey together.

Why couldn't the same have happened to Jasper and I? Tears began to shine in my eyes at the thought- they were tears that had refused to form for the past four months.

Emily tightened her hand around mine when she saw my tears, and I was thankful for it. The comforting gesture was enough to make them disappear again. "I know it must be hard to lose him," she whispered. "I don't know what I would ever do if I lost Sam… But your memories of him will always stay with you."

I smiled slightly at her last statement, and I tightened my hand around hers as well. "They're the scars I have to bear," I told her quietly.

Before Emily could say anything, we heard the front door open, and Jacob appeared in the kitchen a minute later, now wearing his swimming trunks. "Ready to go, Ali?" he asked with an excited smile. "The cliff awaits!"

"You be careful out there, Jacob Black," Emily said before I could answer, squeezing my hand once before getting to her feet and taking the napkin and empty cup away from me. "And don't make Alice jump if she doesn't want to. That's the last thing she needs right now."

"Don't worry, Emily. I won't."

I smiled as I got to my feet and moved to stand next to Jacob, turning to look back at her as she threw away the napkin and rinsed out the cup. "Thank you so much for everything, Emily," I muttered. I knew she knew that I was talking more about than just the cookie and milk she gave me.

"Oh. Of course." Emily quickly dried her hands before she came over to us, kissing my forehead before she hugged me. "All scars heal in time, dear."

My eyes widened as she pulled away from me and gave me another smile. "All right. We'll see you later, Emily," Jacob said as he took my arm.

"Okay. Have fun, you two."

I looked back at Emily as Jacob pulled me out of the kitchen, watching her until she was out of sight. She seemed to completely understand what I was going through. But she still had Sam. She couldn't have faced this same situation.

But as I climbed behind the wheel of my Porsche, I knew that I had another, more potent thing to discover as I put on my seatbelt and started the car.

And that would be the horrors of cliff diving.

* * *

It was a long way down.

I stood at the edge of the cliff as I stared at the waves far beneath me, their movements almost hypnotic to me as they crashed against the shore. For one moment, though I was terrified of the drop, I wanted to try jumping. The waves seemed to be calling to me, almost as though they were challenging me to try to survive the fall…

Suddenly, I screamed when a pair of hot hand grabbed my shoulders and made a pushing motion, and my eyes widened when I felt my body begin to go over the cliff's edge. But these same hands saved me from falling over, and I glared back at the laughing Jacob Black.

"Gotcha', Ali!"

"Jake, that wasn't funny!" I snapped, smacking his arm when he only continued to laugh. But I allowed him to pull me back a couple of steps away from the edge anyway… just in case.

"All right, Jake. You ready?" Sam asked, standing near my car back by the road. Quil, Embry, and Seth were standing next to him.

"Yeah, I'll be right there!" Jacob yelled back. Then, he turned back to me, the excitement still shining in his eyes. "You may want to move to the side, Ali."

"Don't worry. I'm planning on it," I told him with a smile of my own as I walked to my right until I was in a spot where I wouldn't be run over by the line of boys as Jacob ran to join the other four.

"All right, on the count of three," I could barely hear Sam say. "One… two… _three_!"

When the last number was out of his mouth, all five of them ran forward at an incredibly fast pace. They passed by me in a blur… and jumped right off the edge of the cliff without the slightest hesitation.

I covered my eyes with fear when they disappeared from sight, and I waited for a couple of minutes before slowly lowering them and hesitantly walking to the edge. What would I see when I looked down? Five bodies floating limply in the ocean?

Instead, I saw five perfectly fine boys laughing as they swam around in the waves far beneath me, splashing each other. Then, one of them- I assumed it was Jacob- waved up at me, and I smiled as I waved back. I looked down at the cliff edge at my feet thoughtfully. Maybe the jump wasn't so bad. Maybe it was even kind of… fun. I wasn't exactly sure why, but I could feel my left foot slowly begin to inch over the edge…

"Don't do it, Alice."

Snapped roughly out of my thoughts, I gasped when I felt icy fingers brush against mine, stopping me from making the jump. I knew that voice though it was only a whisper. I knew the feeling of those fingers running over my hand though it had only been for a second.

"Jasper…"

I quickly turned around to look at him standing behind me, but my eyes narrowed with confusion and I sighed with disappointment when I saw that there was nobody there. I looked down at my right hand, the one the fingers had brushed against. I could have sworn that someone- or should I say _Jasper_- had almost grabbed my hand to stop my attempt at cliff diving.

Jasper had been there to stop me, I was sure of it. But yet, I was now completely alone.

_"Have you forgotten all I know_

_And all we had?_

_You saw me mourning my love for you_

_And touched my hand_

_I knew you loved me then…"_

**A/N**: Was he there? I don't know… But, I hope you liked this chapter! As I said, it's more fun to write with the wolves than I originally thought, especially Sam and Emily. I hope you all feel the same! Don't worry. Even though Jasper isn't actually a character, per se, he still will have a major influence on the story until he comes back. That said, thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you! And, enjoy the preview (yes, there is one this time, lol)!

**Next Chapter**: _Shadows in an Empty House_

_Everyone had found a partner since I guess it was a slow song. I could see Leah glaring at me out of the corner of my eyes, but I ignored her as I placed my hand on Jacob's shoulder while he put his hand lightly on my waist. I looked up into his dark eyes as the music stared and we began to sway together._

Xxx

_Confused, I opened to a random page, seeing that I had landed on an illustration of the Cheshire Cat. There was a folded piece of paper marking that page, which was probably why it opened to that particular one. I took out the paper and set the book back down, carefully unfolding it to read what was on the inside._

Xxx

_Instead, I got out of the car and slowly, almost cautiously climbed the porch steps and lightly pushed down on the door handle to test it. I was surprised to see that it was unlocked, and I hesitantly pushed the door open, almost afraid to see what I would find inside._

Xxx

_Feeling weak as the tears finally began to fall from my eyes, I shut the door behind me before walking into the room and collapsing onto the mattress, staring blankly up at the ceiling. This wasn't Jasper's room. It couldn't have been. There was nothing left of him in it._

Xxx

"_Grandma… how much do you know about the Cullens?"_


	13. Chapter 8: Shadows in an Empty House

**Disclaimer**: Uh, nope. Not mine. And neither is "Hello" by Evanescence. This seems to be Alice's soundtrack, lol. I also do not own "Patience" by Guns N' Roses.

**A/N**: Hey, guys! Thanks for your reviews! I'm glad that you all seem to like how writing with the wolves is going. I was a little nervous about this to be honest, as I know some of you were, but I'm glad you like them, especially Sam and Emily. They're the best two to write with from the reservation in my opinion, and I'm going to be exploring their relationship a lot more throughout the rest of the story. As a reminder, yes this is "New Moon" and "Eclipse" combined, so Jasper and the rest of the Cullens still have a major part to play in this story, so don't worry. Consider the first half to be "New Moon" and the second half to be kinda like "Eclipse." That's how I'm looking at it, anyway. Oh, just a quick question for those of you who have read my "Twilight" oneshots. For my AP English class, part of our final is to put a writing portfolio together of all the papers we've done over the year to correct them and what not. However, none of these said papers have to be corrected for me since I have gotten A's on all of them, so my teacher said that for fun, I could give her some stories I've written (preferably the one chapter ones) instead. My question to you is which ones do you think I should give her? If you would like to give me feedback, let me know in your review. Thank you! All right, with that out of the way, let's get on with the story. Enjoy!

_Chapter 8- Shadows in an Empty House_

The wedding was wonderful. Sam was an amazing groom and Emily was a gorgeous bride. I cheered loudly along with everyone around me when they shared their first kiss as a married couple, the symbol of beginning their life together.

If possible, the reception afterward was even better. There was a bonfire held on the La Push beach, and it seemed as though everyone from the reservation had gathered on the sand to celebrate the marriage. After a wonderful cookout of pretty much every kind of meat that you could imagine- I was boring and stuck with hot dogs and brats- Emily unleashed her incredible chocolate chip cookies. Then, the dancing begun with Sam and Emily's first dance. I felt so comfortable here as I watched them dance together since everyone treated me so warmly… with, of course, the exception of Leah. I was not the only one she treated coldly, however, for she seemed to be watching the newlyweds, especially Sam, with a resentful eye.

After the first dance was over and everyone else joined in, I gave up on trying to walk in sand with sandals and slipped them off as I moved over to the snack table again and picked up another chocolate chip cookie. They were so delicious. I would have to get the recipe from Emily.

"I see you found Emily's famous cookies."

Startled by the sudden voice behind me, I quickly turned around and saw that Billy Black, Jacob's grandfather, was behind me, smiling up at me from his wheelchair. "Yeah," I replied with a smile. "These are fabulous."

"That they are," Billy agreed with a nod. "I'm glad you were able to make it tonight, Alice since Sam and Emily really appreciated it. Glad to see you still alive and well." Then, without another word and before I could say anything, he rolled away from me and disappeared into the crowd. I sighed with frustration as I watched him since I had a pretty good idea of what he was implying…

The dancing seemed endless as I watched- I completely lost track of time. But when an upbeat song ended and everyone started applauding, Jacob broke out of the crowd and came over to me, laughing as he stumbled in the sand a little. "Could I have one dance, Ali?" he asked with a smile.

I didn't see a problem with that. There was nothing wrong with dancing with a friend. "Sure, Jake," I answered, placing my hand in his hot one as I allowed him to pull me out to where the rest of the dancers were.

Everyone had found a partner since I guess it was going to be a slow song. I could see Leah glaring at me out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored her as I placed my hand on Jacob's shoulder while he put his hand lightly on my waist. I looked up into his dark eyes as the music started and we began to sway together.

But then, my eyes widened as I gasped quietly when I recognized the song that was now being played.

_"Shed a tear 'cause I'm missin' you_

_I'm still alright to smile_

_Girl, I think about you every day now…"_

The onslaught of memories was so powerful it was almost painful. I could see me sitting next to Jasper on the couch in the living room as he played this same song… Jasper and I dancing to it at the dance on the last night of the camp last year… Jasper saying these words to me as he held me in his arms…

This was our song.

"I… I have to go, Jake," I muttered, slowly pulling away from him.

Jacob looked confused and almost hurt by my sudden action. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly. "The song just started, Ali…"

"I'm really sorry, Jake. I just have to go home," I answered, feeling tears rush to my eyes. "I'll see you later, all right?"

"Ali…"

"Bye, Jake." I turned away from Jacob so that he wouldn't see my tears, hurrying away from the beach and ignoring when he called my name after me. I just couldn't stand to stay any longer. The memories would kill me.

Finally finding my car in the darkness, I immediately climbed in and started it, seeing that it was close to midnight. I turned the radio way up when I found "Paint it Black" by the Rolling Stones to block out the song that was now playing in my mind as I put on my seatbelt. Tears were slowly falling from my eyes as I put the car in gear, and hoping to leave the memories behind me, I drove away from the reservation and headed for home.

* * *

_The rough hand grabbed me tightly from out of the darkness, and I screamed as I tried to pull out of its iron grasp. But I had no success as the hand lifted me up, and I cried out fearfully, "Cheshire!"_

_Suddenly, the hand released me, and I fell back to the hard floor. I immediately curled up into a protective ball as tears fell from my eyes, afraid that the hand would come back for me._

_But it never did. Instead, a gentle hand landed on top of my head, and I instantly relaxed under its calming touch. Not only was it a kind hand._

_It was ice cold._

* * *

My eyes snapped open, but I relaxed when I saw that I was safe in my own bed in the faint rays of the early morning sunlight. I sighed as I slowly sat up and ran my hand over my face. I still had no idea who "Cheshire" was or why he had been so important to me when I was a little girl. The other part that confused me about these dreams was where they took place- the small, dark room. I didn't remember this place, but I had a fear of small, dark spaces now. If these dreams were really showing me some glimpses of my past that I couldn't seem to recall, I wondered if that was where that fear derived from.

Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was three minutes after six, which was why the sun was just beginning to rise. Knowing that this bizarre dream would not allow me to go back to sleep, I slowly climbed out of bed and went over to my dresser, checking my phone and seeing that I didn't have any messages… like usual.

But then, my eyes narrowed when I saw that there was a book that was lying on my desk next to my bed that had not been there when I had gone to sleep, and I slowly picked it up. Surprised, I saw that it was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Confused, I opened to a random page, seeing that I had landed on an illustration of the Cheshire Cat. There was a folded piece of paper marking that page, which was probably why it had opened to that particular one. I took out the paper and set the book back down, carefully unfolding it to read what was on the inside.

In neat handwriting, it said:

_Even if you cannot see me, I am still watching over you, just as I have always done._

_Cheshire_

Frowning with confusion, I folded the slip of paper and set it on top of the book. Who would write something like that? I didn't recognize the handwriting, so I had no idea who it could be. But unlike when James continued to call me last year, this note wasn't threatening in the least. It was almost nice in a way, knowing that I was being watched over. If this was the same man that a younger version of myself knew, then maybe I could finally figure out who he was.

But I had to wonder how this Cheshire guy was able to get into my room without my knowing. There were only two types of people I knew that could pull this off, and neither one were human.

I slowly looked out the window then, having the sudden, very strange urge to go somewhere that I hadn't been in four months. I had to do this… just to prove the truth to myself. I had to…

Randomly throwing an outfit together for the day, I quickly got changed and left my room. Relieved to see that my grandmother was still asleep, I snuck past her room and down the stairs, locking the front door behind me before running to my car and climbing in behind the wheel. Sighing, I started the car and backed out of the driveway, tightly gripping the wheel as I headed toward the house.

I drove down the winding road that led away from town. I drove down the hidden driveway that led to the large, white house with its massive windows that was surrounded by dense trees. I parked my car in front of the garage, sighing to myself as I turned it off and unbuckled my seatbelt. Why was I even here? No one else would be. I still had the choice to turn around now and go back home and pretend that I had never come out to the house I had once considered my true home.

But I didn't. Instead, I got out of the car and slowly, almost cautiously climbed the porch steps and lightly pushed down on the door handle to test it. I was surprised to see that it was unlocked, and I hesitantly pushed the door open, almost afraid to see what I would find inside.

_"If I smile and don't believe_

_Soon I know I'll wake from this dream_

"_Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken…"_

Immediately, I noticed that it was completely void of life. I shut the door behind me, curiously trying the light switch on the wall near me, seeing that it didn't work. I slowly wandered into the living room, seeing that the furniture was still there, covered in dirtied white sheets while the floor and table was covered in a heavy layer of dust. I slowly walked past the couches, seeing Rosalie sitting on one reading a fashion magazine or snuggling on the couch with Emmett as they argued over which movie they should watch, romantic or action, Edward witting with Bella on the loveseat, laughing at them.

They were only shadows in an empty house now…

I suddenly paused next to one of the couches, lightly placing my hand on it. I could see myself sitting on this same couch beside Jasper as he played me "Patience" on his guitar. That was when it had become our song…

A thin line of tears formed in my eyes, and I turned away from the couch, my gaze landing on the grand piano that Jasper and Emmett had bought for Edward for his last birthday, which was also under a white sheet. I slowly walked over to the large instrument, pulling out the stool from underneath it and brushing off the dust before sitting on it. Then, I lifted the white sheet away from the keys, sighing as I placed my fingers in the correct starting position.

After a moment, I cautiously began to press down on the keys, their different pitches echoing eerily around the empty house as I slowly played through the simple melody of "Beauty and the Beast." There were many gaps in it, and I sighed with frustration as I tried it again. I pictured Edward sitting on the stool beside me, coaching me as I learned how to play this tune, and I almost played the melody flawlessly at the correct tempo. A single tear fell from my eye once I finished, and I regretfully covered the piano up again as I stopped up and pushed the stool back underneath it.

Then, I wandered into the kitchen, looking around at the open, empty cupboards. I lightly ran my hand over the counter, stirring up more dust, as I imagined myself sitting on it while Carlisle bandaged up my scraped knee. This was the very spot where I had first met Jasper, though it hadn't been the most pleasant of meetings.

I then turned to look over my shoulder, my gaze landing on the oven. I remembered Esme had made a cake for my last birthday, bringing it over to the counter I was now leaning against, and she, Carlisle, Bella, Rosalie, Edward, and Emmett- both human at the time- were all gathered around me as they sang to me. I blew out the candles then, knowing that I would be with this family, _my_ family, for the rest of my life…

I left the kitchen then, slowly beginning to climb the stairs to the second floor. I ran my hand over the dusty, wooden railing, watching as Emmett, Edward, and Jasper slid down it, laughing loudly, to Bella, Rosalie, and I while Carlisle stood at the top of the stairs, yelling at them since they were disturbing his work with their commotion. I almost laughed aloud at this memory as I reached the top step, beginning to slowly walk down the hallway. I paused by the first door on my left, pushing it open after a moment and taking a step inside.

Carlisle's study. I looked around at the now empty bookshelves sadly, remembering when they were filled with all kinds of books. Smiling slightly, I saw Carlisle walking in and discovering me in here going through some of his oldest ones. Instead of being angry, he sat down with me and explained what the importance of the books I had been looking at and what they were about. But then, my bittersweet smile vanished when I saw Jasper sitting in the chair that used to be by the window with me on his lap as he read quietly to me, both of us oblivious to the rest of the world around us.

After spending a few minutes in the study, I left and went into the room across the hall, which was Bella's bedroom. I fondly remembered the sleepovers I had in here before I knew she was a vampire, staying up late and telling scary stories and making prank calls. I slowly walked over to the window, looking out into the large backyard. I saw Emmett and Jasper wrestling out there while Bella, Rosalie, Edward, and I watched, Rosalie and I playfully making bets against each other about the outcome. Carlisle would always be sitting in a chair while he read or went through some important paperwork while Esme sat beside him, always holding his hand in hers. It was rare, but we would sometimes see them share a quick kiss. Sports would be played out there as well, such as football, and I would typically be the referee since actually playing with them would be hazardous to my health.

My favorite memories of this backyard, however, were ones that I shared only with Jasper. I saw the two of us sitting in each other's arms beneath the shade of the trees, merely enjoying the mild weather. Or, he would sit and play his guitar for me in the cover of the night while I sat beside him and simply watched, entranced by the beautiful sound it seemed like only he could create. And then there were the evenings where we would just lie in the grass together, me lying in his arms while we watched the beautiful sunset.

There was only one more place for me to visit, now, and I knew that this was going to be the hardest. But, I had to do it. I had lasted this long…

I suddenly understood what walking the green mile felt like as I left my best friends' room with a sigh and slowly walked down to the end of the hall, lying my hand tenderly on the handle for a long moment before I pushed the door open and entered Jasper's bedroom.

Everything was gone except for the bed against the wall, which had been stripped of its sheets and had only the mattress left behind. Tears instantly filled my eyes as I looked around the small room, immediately missing the guitar in the corner, the shelves filled with books and the racks of CDs, the picture of the two of us that had hung on the wall above the desk that had once been there…

The same one had disappeared from my room as well on the day the Cullens left.

Feeling weak as the tears finally began to fall from my eyes, I shut the door behind me before walking into the room and collapsing onto the mattress, staring blankly up at the ceiling. This wasn't Jasper's room. It couldn't have been. There was nothing left of him in it.

Suddenly, my eyes began to feel heavy as a strong feeling of calm fell over me. My body tensed at the unnatural sensation, but then it relaxed again when the feeling began to take over me. There was only one way that this could happen…

"… Jasper…" I whispered, my eyes closing on their own as I sunk into the darkness that was consuming me.

* * *

_"Cheshire…" I muttered, looking up at the man that now knelt before me. His features were still hidden by the darkness of the room, but I wasn't afraid of him. He was my friend…_

_The man laughed softly, and I found it to be a comforting sound. "Yes, Alice. I'm here," he assured me gently. I knew that voice, I just couldn't place it…_

_Then, his cold hands gently picked me up into his arms as he began to carry me toward the half-open door that I hadn't seen before. I squinted in the sudden light as I turned to look up at the man named Cheshire, and I saw the light beginning to slowly touch his face…_

* * *

I jumped and shrieked as I was jerked away by a sudden loud ringing noise. Damn, I had been so close to seeing who Cheshire was! Why now?

Then, realizing that the annoying sound was my cell phone, I quickly pulled it out of my pocket. Seeing that it was my grandmother calling, I flipped the phone open and brought it to my ear. "Hello?" I hoped I didn't sound too annoyed…

"_Alice, where in the world are you?"_ my grandmother asked anxiously.

I sighed. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Grandma," I answered. "You were sleeping, so I didn't want to disturb you. I'm… I'm just taking a drive to clear my head. I've been having some very strange dreams lately that have been bothering me." I figured that it wouldn't be the best idea to tell her where I really was. She would freak.

_"Oh. What about, dear?"_

It was way too hard to explain over the phone. "We'll talk about it later, Grandma," I told her. "I'm fine now. Don't worry."

"_If you're sure…"_ She was nowhere near convinced, that much was certain. _"Well, anyway, I think you should come home now."_

"Any particular reason why?"

_"No. I would just feel better if you were home."_

I knew she wasn't giving me the entire truth, but I didn't really care at the moment. "All right, Grandma. I'll be right home."

_"Great. I'll see you soon, sweetheart."_

"See you soon, Grandma." I flipped my phone closed, sighing as I put it back in my pocket. Then, I slowly sat up on the mattress, taking a last look at Jasper's bedroom- or at least what was left of it. Wondering what my grandmother could want me home for so badly, I stood up and opened the door, looking back into the room again before I shut it behind me.

I slowly walked down the hall and down the stairs to the front door, my eyes catching everything as I passed it. After all, this was the last time I would ever be here. I pulled open the door, looking at the interior of the house one last time before shutting it behind me, leaving all of my memories with it.

When I arrived at my house, I found my grandmother waiting for me in the living room. "I'm home," I announced, hanging up my light jacket and slipping off my shoes before entering the room.

"Heavens, child, do you know how much of a scare you gave me?" my grandmother asked as she stood up off the couch and pulled me into a tight hug. "With the emotional state you've been in, I wasn't sure what to think…"

"I'm fine, Grandma. Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything stupid," I reassured her, squeezing her hands lightly. "I just went for a drive to clear my head a little, that's all."

When my grandmother released me, I was startled to see that there were tears shining in her eyes. "Grandma?"

But I was interrupted by her running a hand gently through my dark hair. "Did you find what you were searching for at the Cullen house?" she asked in a whisper as she blinked her tears away.

I looked back at her in shock. "How… how did you know about that?" I wondered.

My grandmother only smiled back at me. "You don't think I know my own granddaughter well enough to know that she would go to the one place she truly considers home without telling me this early in the morning?" When I was still too confused to say anything, she sighed. "We should probably have a talk, Alice."

I allowed her to lead me over to the couch, lightly pushing me down before she sat down beside me. She appeared as though she didn't know how to start the conversation, so I decided to do it for her. "Grandma… how much do you know about the Cullens?" I suddenly had the strong feeling that she knew a bit more than she had been letting on.

"Well, I know the Cullens more than you think I do, Alice," my grandmother told me. "Much more. It's a strange thing, knowing a couple since you've been a little girl and they haven't appeared to physically age."

So, my theory had been correct after all. I just hadn't known to what extent. "So, you know that they're-!"

"Vampires?" My grandmother smiled slightly as she placed her hand on my knee. The way she said the term almost made it sound normal. "Yes. Long before you did."

The snow day where Jasper had spent the morning at our house before I went back to his suddenly entered my mind. She had asked him about his age… "You knew about Jasper too, didn't you?" I asked quietly.

"Of course I did, Alice," my grandmother answered. "And he knew that I did. You didn't know that at the time, so we had to keep that hidden. Strangely, Jasper was the last Cullen that I met. I encountered him for the first time much later when… well, much later than his sisters. I wasn't too sure about him at first, but now I know that his heart was in the right place, especially when it came to you."

A thin line of tears formed in my eyes when she said this, but I successfully blinked them away when my grandmother reached over and gently pulled me against her. "I knew about Edward and Emmett too," she muttered as she rubbed my back, and fresh tears formed in my eyes at the mention of my brothers. "When I sent you to your room for the book after Carlisle brought you home from the camp last year, we discussed what would happen to them. Carlisle was concerned about what others would say regarding the noticeable change them, and that was the first time he brought up the idea of leaving for another century. I wish he wouldn't have had to bring your brothers along, but he thought it was for the best. I'm surprised they stayed as long as they did, actually…"

"We're not coming back, Alice, at least not during your lifetime."

Jasper's words form the day he left came back to me, and I could not stop the tears from falling this time as I softly began to cry. My grandmother tightened her hold around me as she tried to calm me down. "He really did care about you," she whispered, knowing who these tears were for. "Before he left with his family, he told me to watch you very carefully. He loved you, Alice, I know he did, and I'm sure he still does, even now."

For some reason, hearing this made me feel slightly better. Maybe Jasper hadn't left me because he hated me… But if he loved me, why did he have to leave?

Then, my grandmother laughed a little, and I raised my head to look at her curiously while I wiped my tears away. "I'm really glad that you're spending some more time with your wolf friends," she muttered. "They really care about you too."

"You know about them too?" I was shocked. She knew much more about the people I hung out with than I gave her credit for.

My grandmother only gave me a knowing wink.

**A/N**: Okay, that's that one. I'm sorry for the complete lack of dialogue in the section where Alice goes back to the house, but my main purpose of that part was to describe some family bonding moments that I wanted to share but couldn't actually write into either of the stories. Plus, it's pretty crucial to the story since Alice is finally starting to accept that they've really left. Or, have they? But, her grandmother really knows a lot more than she thought. I wonder what else she knows… Anyway, I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you! Enjoy the preview!

**Next Chapter**: _Birthday Surprises_

_Then, my eyes narrowed when I saw an envelope lying on my dresser. I sat up and reached out and took it, opening it and seeing that it was a birthday card. As I read it over quickly and saw that it was from my grandmother, it slowly dawned on me that today was my birthday. I hadn't even remembered… I was now eighteen years old. I felt no different._

Xxx

_"Edward helped me pick it out and everything…"_

"_Wait. _Edward_ helped you?" I asked, looking over at her. When had this happened?_

_My grandmother smiled as she came to a stop at a red light. "Yes. Actually, he's the one who picked it out."_

Xxx

_Suddenly, both Jessica and Angela screamed when a man appeared on the street in front of my car, and I cursed as I was forced to slam on my brakes._

Xxx

_Laurent laughed a little at the question. "Victoria is keeping an eye on you, dear Alice," he explained, and the quiet statement nearly made my heart stop. Victoria had been James' mate… "She's furious about what Jasper did to James, you know. To an immortal, the loss of a mate is the worst that could happen."_

Xxx

_No! This couldn't be happening…_


	14. Chapter 9: Birthday Surprises

**Disclaimer**: Nope. Sorry. The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, and "Hey There Delilah" belongs to the Plain White T's.

**A/N**: Hey, everyone! I'm glad you enjoyed that last chapter! If you thought that one was sad, I'm not gonna lie, this one's gonna be even worse toward the end. Um, there are some more lighthearted moments toward the beginning (including something that actually happened to my friend and I that I thought would be funny to add in), but ultimately, it's pretty sad. Just don't kill me, lol. Then, you'll never know what happens! I don't really have too much more to say except for enjoy the chapter! Thanks, guys!

_Chapter 9- Birthday Surprises_

When I slowly opened my eyes the next morning, I was relieved that I had not been plagued by any more bizarre dreams. For one night, at least, my sleep had been peaceful. That was all I could ask for.

Then, my eyes narrowed when I saw an envelope lying on my dresser. I sat up and reached out and took it, opening it and seeing that it was a birthday card. As I read it over quickly and saw that it was from my grandmother, it slowly dawned on me that today was my birthday. I hadn't even remembered… I was now eighteen years old. I felt no different.

I quickly got out of bed then, leaving the card on my dresser, before leaving my room and running down the stairs. I found my grandmother in the kitchen, humming cheerfully to herself as she pulled a cake out of the oven. From the smell and look of it, it was vanilla- my absolute favorite.

"Happy birthday, Alice!" she said when she saw me, setting the cake down on the counter before approaching me and hugging me tightly. "My little girl is finally eighteen…"

"Yeah, well, it doesn't feel much different," I replied once she released me. "What's with the cake?"

"Well, I needed to have something made for when your friends sleep over tonight," my grandmother muttered.

"Wait. Friends are sleeping over?" I asked, surprised. "Who?"

"Jessica and Angela. They're worried about you, dear…"

I sighed with relief. At least she hadn't said Lauren. Though we had gotten along somewhat well at the camp in Montana, she had been a… well, _bitch_ would be the only word to describe her… to me since I had been Jasper's girlfriend. Granted she had begun to date Tyler, but she still had a major crush on Jasper and hated me for it since he had chosen me over her. Besides, I missed Jessica and Angela. I had been more distant from them than I would have liked since the Cullens left, and this would be a good opportunity to reestablish that friendship with them.

"And you said that they were sleeping over?"

"Yep. It's a surprise for your birthday. Or, was anyway," my grandmother confirmed as she finished spreading the light purple icing over my cake. "But before they come over, I need to take you out to Port Angeles for a different surprise."

"And what would that be?" I wondered. I wasn't sure if going to Port Angeles was the best idea…

My grandmother sighed as she took out the things necessary to do the lettering on the cake, which I was no good at by any means. "It's your birthday, Alice, you're not supposed to ask questions," she said, pushing me out of the kitchen. "Now hurry and get changed so we can go!"

* * *

The drive to Port Angeles was silent on my part- my grandmother, on the other hand, kept telling me how much I would love my present.

"I'm sure you'll find it perfect," she was saying when I listened to the one-sided conversation again. "Edward helped me pick it out and everything…"

"Wait. _Edward_ helped you?" I asked, looking over at her. When had this happened?

My grandmother smiled as she came to a stop at a red light. "Yes. Actually, he's the one who picked it out," she answered. "He knows so much more about this stuff than I do. We just have to pick it up. I just know you're going to love it, Alice."

My curiosity had definitely been piqued. What kind of present had my grandmother gotten for me that Edward had to help her with?

We reached Port Angeles about fifteen minutes later and quickly found a spot to park. I stepped out of the car and looked around the parking lot, remembering what had happened here only a few spots down. Royce had found me here, and Jasper had arrived just in time to prevent whatever he had been planning on doing with me from happening…

"Come on, Alice," my grandmother said, and I followed her as she headed toward the lien of stores. We came to a music store then, and my eyes narrowed with confusion. What would we be picking up here? My grandmother pulled open the door, and I glanced behind me at the parking lot one last time before following her inside.

I was instantly met with a wall of guitars, and I turned away from them to instead look at the racks of CDs so I wouldn't be reminded of the one person I knew who could play the guitar while my grandmother went to the desk at the back of the store. I could barely hear her talking, but I didn't pay much attention as I browsed through the many titles, just reaching Van Halen when I was interrupted.

"Alice! Come over here please, dear!"

Sighing, I stood and walked past the guitars without looking at them to where the desk was. My grandmother was standing in front of a large box, and I wandered over to her curiously to see what I assumed to be my present was.

My eyes widened when I saw it.

It was a keyboard with tracks on it to play along with and had a stand included. I slowly raised my hand and ran it lightly over the box. From what I could tell from the picture, the instrument was beautiful.

"Edward told me that you were starting to take an interest in learning to play the piano again," my grandmother told me, smiling slightly as I marveled at the keyboard that was now mine. "I thought this would be the next best thing."

A smile appeared on my face as I looked up at my grandmother. "I love it!" I told her enthusiastically, and I saw her eyes shine at my excitement. "It's perfect!"

She gave me the famous "I told you so" smile as she gave the money for the keyboard to the balding man behind the desk. "Thank you so much for holding it for us."

"Of course," the man replied before he turned to me and gave me a smile. "Happy birthday! I hope you enjoy your keyboard."

"Thank you. I will!" I returned the smile as he looked back at my grandmother.

"I'll carry this to your car for you."

"Oh, all right. Thank you," my grandmother said as the man picked up the box with my keyboard in it and joined us on the other side of the desk. "I'll show you which one it is. Come on, Alice."

I followed my grandmother and the man out of the store and across the parking lot as we headed toward our golden car. But as she unlocked it for him and the man began to set the keyboard gently in the backseat, I suddenly turned to look behind me when I had the feeling that I was being watched. My eyes widened when they landed on a man far across the parking lot that I recognized, a feeling of dread coursing through me.

It was Royce King. I watched a smile spread across his face when he saw me looking at him, and he gave me a wink before he turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

* * *

For lunch, my grandmother and I stopped at the nearest food court at the mall. We sat at a table together surrounded by teenagers that were still really happy to be on spring break, and the Royce sighting was driven out of my mind. I took a bite of my sub sandwich while she used chopsticks to eat her Chinese when I noticed a blue flyer on the table. I curiously picked it up, seeing that it was a list of songs with a number that you could text in to have it played on the T.V. sets around the food court. Whoa. Jukebox of the future…

Finding a song that I loved on the list, I took out my cell phone and texted in the code, smiling when I got a return message telling me that my song choice would be played shortly. My grandmother was looking at me curiously, and my smile widened.

"What are you doing, Alice?" she asked.

"It's just a music thing… well, you'll see." I didn't think that it was worth going into a big discussion with my grandmother about the mechanics of texting…

A few minutes later, I smiled when I recognized the first few notes and the beginning of the video for the song I had chosen, and my grandmother glanced up at the television nearest us. "Did you get that song to come on?"

"Yeah. I sent the number in, and now they're playing it," I explained. "It's kind of like a newer from of the jukebox."

By the blank look on my grandmother's face, she didn't exactly understand the whole technology thing, but she still tried to be enthusiastic about it. "Oh. Okay. That's cool…"

I laughed a little as I took another bite of my sandwich. That word did _not_ work for my grandmother… But then, my smile vanished when I heard a few lines of the song clearly. _Why_ had I picked this song?

_"Don't you worry 'bout the distance, I'm right there_

_If you get lonely, give this song another listen_

_Close your eyes_

_Listen to my voice, it's my disguise_

_I'm by your side…"_

"Are you all right, Alice?"

My grandmother's voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I nodded. The choice of song must have been subconscious- I wouldn't have picked it if I had been thinking clearly… not when it reminded me of Jasper…

But, I didn't want to worry my grandmother, so I smiled and nodded as I answered, "I'm fine." Besides, it was my birthday, and I owed it to my grandmother to try to have the best day I could.

She smiled, but she didn't seem to believe me as she took another bite of her noodles. I sighed as I continued to eat my sandwich, but then I froze when I saw two familiar faces in the swarm of people watching me curiously. "I have to go to the bathroom," I said, quickly getting to my feet. "I'll be right back, Grandma."

"Oh, all right." I could hear her confusion. "Take your time, dear…" I barely heard her last statement before I rushed into the crowd of people after my two friends. I know I saw them… I know I did…

_"A thousand miles seems pretty far_

_But they've got planes, and trains, and cars_

_I'd walk to you if I had no other way…"_

I tried to block the song out as I hurried after Bella and Rosalie. I knew that I had seen them… Did that mean that the rest of the Cullens were here too? Why hadn't they told me?

But I soon got to the edge of the balcony that overlooked the first floor without seeing any sign of either Bella or Rosalie. They hadn't been in any of the stores that I had passed either. I didn't understand… I knew they had been there… They were…

I clutched the metal railing tightly as I softly began to cry, not minding who saw. How much longer was this going to go on? I couldn't take it anymore…

Jasper… why did you have to leave?

* * *

Surprisingly, having Jessica and Angela over for the evening was a lot of fun. We had a pizza for dinner with my grandmother's delicious, beautiful cake for dessert. Then, I opened their presents- Angela bought me the last two books in a series I had been reading along with the complete collection of Grimm's fairy tales, and Jessica and Mike had combined their money to buy me a new digital camera since mine had broken. After that, we watched two romantic comedies, and I played my keyboard a little for them before my grandmother went to bed, leaving the three of us alone in my room.

"So, has everything been okay lately, Alice?" Angela asked quietly from where she sat on the bed beside me.

"Yeah, you've been really different since Jasper left," Jessica agreed from where she lay on the floor, playing with Mina. "You're making us worried…"

"Everything's fine, guys," I tried to assure them as confidently as possible, giving them a smile. "I'm all right."

"So… are you past it then?" Angela ventured hesitantly. "I mean, it's a shame he left. I know how close you two were…"

I sighed heavily at her question. What could I say? I was nowhere near past Jasper's sudden departure, but I didn't want to worry them further, so I slowly nodded. "Yeah," I muttered. "I'm past it…"

"That's good," Angela smiled. But then, her smile vanished. "Well, as good as it can be, I guess…"

"Lauren will be happy to hear that," Jessica scoffed as she rubbed Mina's stomach.

"Jess…" Angela began to warn softly.

"What?" Jessica turned to look back up at us sitting on my bed. "You know how big of a crush she had on Jasper and how mad she was at Alice because of it…"

"Yes, but I think we should drop the subject now. I mean, it's Alice's birthday."

I tuned out their conversation as I turned to face the clock by my bed, seeing that it was almost midnight. It was supposed to be a magical time… It hadn't been that way for me lately.

"Are you all right, Alice?"

Hearing the quiet question, I turned back to the girl sitting next to me and gave her a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, Ang," I answered. "There's just a lot on my mind… Do you guys want to go for a drive? It will help clear my head a bit."

"Now?" Jessica's face brightened up slightly. "Sure! But wouldn't your grandmother like get mad if she knew because of how late it is?"

"Now, she won't mind, Jess. We won't be gone long." I stood up and went to my closet, grabbing my favorite black hoodie and pulling it over my head. "It'll only be around the block a couple of times or something."

"Yeah, sure. Let's go!" I watched as Jessica pulled on her hoodie and Angela slipped on her light jacket, and then we all quietly left my room and snuck past my grandmother before running down the stairs and out to my car. I climbed in behind the wheel while Jessica got in beside me and Angela sat in the back. Once we were all buckled up, I backed out of the driveway and headed down the street.

"So, we're just going to drive around aimlessly then?" Jessica asked.

"Pretty much," I answered quietly. "Unless anyone has any better ideas on somewhere we could go."

"I have a few dollars on me," Angela spoke up. "We could stop at a gas station for snacks or something."

"All right. That works," I said as I came to a stop sign. "Oh, feel free to turn on the radio if you want."

Jessica immediately began to flip through the stations, and I stared absentmindedly out at the gentle drizzle that had begun. The tiny drops sparkled when they hit the light from the surrounding streetlamps, and I was instantly reminded of the way Jasper's skin shone when sunlight hit him…

Why couldn't he just leave me alone?

"Are you going to drive, Alice?" Jessica wondered, finally settling on the mixed station. "There are no other cars coming."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." I slowly took off from the stop sign, seeing Jessica and Angela exchange concerned looks. I wouldn't allow the emptiness inside of me eat away at what little was left of me. I was determined to keep the friends I still had…

But as I headed toward the gas station, I passed the small playground that I had often gone to when I visited my grandmother when I was a young girl. I glanced over at it, instantly met with many pleasant memories. I used to love this playground.

But then, my eyes widened when I caught slight movement, and my breath caught in my chest at what I saw.

"Jasper…"

There he was, sitting on one of the swings as he watched my car go past. There was some concern… and guilt in his eyes as he kept his eyes on us, but he didn't move from his spot on the swing. Was he really back this time, or was this just another hallucination? If he was back, why hadn't he come to see me? Why hadn't he told me?

But then, his eyes narrowed as his gaze moved away from me, and I saw his lips pull back in a snarl as he growled at something ahead of my car. I quickly looked in front of me to see if I was about to hit something, but I didn't see anything…

"Did you just say Jasper's name?" Angela wondered quietly.

"He isn't at the playground, Alice," Jessica added hesitantly. I could tell that they were both confused and worried.

No! Jasper _had _been there, I saw him! I quickly looked back at the playground behind me, and I felt a couple of tears prick my eyes when I saw that they were right- Jasper wasn't there. But, he had been… hadn't he? I sighed as one tear fell from my eye while I turned back to face the road ahead of me. Maybe I was just seeing things since I was wishing so desperately for him to come back… Maybe…

Suddenly, both Jessica and Angela screamed when a man appeared on the street in front of my car, and I cursed as I was forced to slam on my brakes. Fortunately, I stopped just in time to keep from hitting him… "I'm sorry, guys."

"That's all right." Jessica and Angela appeared to be shaken up, but otherwise unharmed. "He shouldn't have been in the middle of the road like that…"

I sighed with irritation when I saw that the man still hadn't moved from in front of my car, and I was about to honk my horn when my eyes narrowed as I studied him closely. Wait. I recognized that olive skin, that black hair that fell to his shoulders…

It was Laurent- like, the Laurent that had warned us about James when he was after me at the camp in Montana.

"Hold on a minute," I muttered as I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned off my car so I wouldn't waste gas. The fact that I was actually seeing a vampire after four months was a ray of sunlight to me. "I'll be right back." Ignoring Jessica and Angela's concerned protests, I stepped out of the car and shut the door behind me before I carefully walked to the front.

"I see you survived after all," Laurent said in a form of greeting as he turned to face me when I approached.

"Yeah, thanks to Jasper and Bella," I replied. "What are you doing back in Forks?" I remembered James telling me that they had all been here before.

At first, I had been happy to see Laurent since out of his coven, he was the one who warned us about the danger of James. But the strange flicker in his crimson eyes as he looked down on me began to make me feel nervous…

"Just passing through," he told me innocently. "But I must say that it's… unfortunate your Jasper isn't around anymore."

My face paled as I took a step back away from him, his smirk putting me on high alert. Something was wrong… "How do you know about that?" I whispered.

Laurent laughed a little at the question. "Victoria is keeping an eye on you, dear Alice," he explained, and the quiet statement nearly made my heart stop. Victoria had been James' mate… "She's furious about what Jasper did to James, you know. To an immortal, the loss of a mate is the worst that could happen."

"Well, Jasper isn't here, as you said, so she has nothing to worry about." I had to try to get out of this, for Jasper's sake. I took another step back, but Laurent only took another step forward. It was no use. If I tried to run, he would easily catch me…

"Oh, you are so naïve, my dear," Laurent said with a laugh. "She's after _you_. It's only fair, you see? A mate for a mate." I gasped and tried to back away without success when he reached forward and grabbed my upper arm tightly. "But, if it makes you feel any better, she does have her plans for poor Jasper as well…"

At his last statement, my eyes went blank when a quick vision came to me. Victoria had made up her mind…

_I was sitting in a small, dark room as I stared fearfully at the half-open door, hearing a familiar scream of pain coming from the other side…_

But, I was forced back to the present when Laurent roughly shook my arm. "Let's just say that you should be grateful I found you first," he muttered, leaning in close to my neck. "I will be much more merciful…"

"Alice!"

"Get away from her, freak!"

Both Laurent and I watched as Angela and Jessica stepped toward us away from the car, their eyes filled with fear and confusion. "Run!" I shouted at them desperately. Would Laurent go after them when he was through with me? I wasn't sure, but I knew I couldn't let that happen. "Get out of here! Hurry!"

I watched with relief as they backed away with fear when they saw his crimson eyes, but I gasped when my attention was roughly switched back to Laurent as he turned my face back to him and tilted my head so my throat was exposed. "Now, where were we, my dear?" He leaned forward again, his cold lips running lightly over my neck to find a good place to bite, I assumed. I shut my eyes tightly and held my breath, waiting for the pain to come…

Suddenly, Laurent's weight left me, and I cautiously opened my eyes to see what had happened. I saw with confusion that he was running as fast as he could away from me, not minding that my two friends saw. Then, I heard a loud growl from behind me, and for one, hopeful moment, I thought that it was Jasper that had come to drive Laurent away.

However, I saw a flash of light brown fur rush by me instead, and I realized that one of the wolves must have fortunately been in the area and saw Laurent with me. I sighed with relief when I recognized that fur. I had never been more relieved to see Jacob before…

But then, I gasped when more images suddenly assaulted my mind, and I had to lean on my car for support because of their ferocity.

_Jasper was thrown into the dark room with me, cringing in pain as the half-open door was shut completely behind him. In the dim lighting that was left, I could see that there was a large tear in his throat, burn marks covering his upper body, and fresh scars ravaging his chest…_

No! This couldn't be happening!

Tears quickly filled my eyes as I slowly sank to my knees on the damp ground, my breath catching in my chest as I let out a quiet sob. I hardly noticed when Jessica and Angela knelt down beside me and held me tightly when what I assumed to be the final image came.

_I rushed to Jasper's side, seeing that his eyes were closed tightly as he gasped for breath. The obvious pain he was in must have nearly been unbearable. I gently took his hand in mine before planting a tender kiss on his cold lips, hoping to be of some comfort to him._

"_Jasper, stay with me," I pleaded desperately as tears fell freely from my eyes when he looked up at me. What had she done to him? "I need you… Please, stay with me…"_

"_I will stay with you, Alice… I made you… a promise…" Jasper's eyes were weary and filled with agony, and I could not imagine how much pain he was now in. If only I could make it stop…_

_He then raised his hand and slowly wiped the tears from my cheeks, but I could see even that simple action took a lot of effort as he outwardly cringed with pain from the movement. I sighed and slowly took his hand in mine before lowering it gently to the ground, and a small, quiet sob escaped from me when I realized what was happening to my angel as he sighed heavily and closed his eyes again._

_No matter how strong he was trying to be for me, I knew that Jasper was slowly dying._

**A/N**: I bet you are all hating to see those two letters, huh? I'm sorry for ending it evilly. It's a good spot for a cliffhanger. There isn't really much I can say to make up for this evil ending, but I still hope you enjoyed the chapter! And the jukebox of the future thing… that actually happened to a friend and I at a mall. I just thought it would be funny for Alice and her grandmother to experience that. Anyway, thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you, and enjoy the preview!

**Next Chapter**: _Snow Angel_

_I was an absolute wreck._

Xxx

_I leaned into his arms, grateful for their comfort as I continued to cry into his shoulder. "What's wrong, Ali?"_

"_You… you wouldn't care," I whispered between sobs, truly knowing that Jacob wouldn't care if Jasper lived or died._

Xxx

_"There's something that… that you don't know about me that you should know, Grandma," I muttered once I calmed down a bit._

Xxx

_"You probably don't remember any of this because of the trauma you went through," my grandmother muttered, recognizing my blank expression. "But, you're older now, and you should probably know about this."_

"What happened to me?"


	15. Chapter 10: Snow Angel

**Disclaimer**: Nope, these awesome characters aren't mine. And neither is Linkin Park's "Leave Out All the Rest." Awesome song…

**A/N**: Hey, sorry for the massively evil cliffhanger. But, this chapter is sad too, just to warn you. It's probably worse than the last one… Thank you so much for your reviews! I hate to say it, but this is probably the last time I'll be able to update for a little while, at least until I get a couple of more chapters done. I caught up to myself, lol. But, don't worry. The rest is in the works! And I think you'll all enjoy this chapter because this is where your Cheshire questions get answered! Who is he? You're about to find out.

_Chapter 10- Snow Angel_

I was an absolute wreck.

I was sitting on the hood of my car with Jessica and Angela standing near me with concern, both hugging me tightly as they assured me that everything would be all right and that someone from the police was on their way- Angela had called right after I told them to run. I knew that my friends assumed I was upset over what had occurred with Laurent, but that wasn't the case. They didn't know about my visions- I couldn't tell them the real reason that I was silently crying now. I couldn't tell them that I had just seen the one person who made me complete dying…

I had to try calling him. I knew that he had told me that it would be like we were never in each other's lives once he left, and I wasn't sure if he would answer or not, but I knew I had to try warning Jasper about Victoria. After all, this was a matter of life and death. I would feel so guilty if I didn't at least try and something happened to him…

"Where are you going, Alice?" Jessica asked when I slid off my car from under her hands.

"I… I just need to make a quick phone call," I answered quietly, wiping my tears away and taking a deep breath as I pulled out my phone and flipped it open. "I'll be right back." I walked away from my car and wandered over to the playground, sighing as I sat on the same swing that I thought I had seen Jasper sitting on earlier. A few more tears fell from my eyes as I dialed a number that I had memorized, desperately hoping that he would answer.

Unfortunately, it only rang once before it went straight to his voicemail.

_This is Jasper. Leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can._

Would he get back to me? Probably not. I immediately flipped my phone closed, not bothering to leave a message. What was I supposed to say to him? Don't come back to Forks or you're going to die? Jasper probably wouldn't listen to a message left by me anyway.

But I refused to give up. I had to reach the family somehow if not him directly. I had to warn them about Victoria. I quickly dialed another number. Unfortunately, it was the same result.

_Hey, it's Bella. I'm not here at the moment. Please leave a message and-!_

I hung up and quickly tried a different number.

_You've reached Carlisle. I'm sorry I'm not able to answer your call at this time. I-!_

Why was no one answering? I began to feel anxious as my options became limited. There were only two more numbers I knew that I could call, and I quickly tried one.

_This is Edward. I'm not able to answer the-!_

No… This couldn't be happening now. I inwardly groaned as I dialed one more number- it was my last hope.

_Yo, you've gotten a hold of Emmett's voicemail. I'm sure you want to talk to him, but he's not available at the time, so you'll have to call back later. Or, you could leave a message and-!_

I flipped my phone closed and sighed, putting my head in my hands as a few more tears fell from my eyes. Would my own brothers really ignore a call from me? I guess they would if it meant… protecting me from something, though I wasn't sure what that was.

But Jasper's life was in danger now, and I had to warn him. If something happened…

Quickly flipping my phone open one more time, I dialed his number again, a tear leaking from my eye when I got his voicemail.

_This is Jasper. Leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can._

"Jasper, it's Alice."

I decided to leave a message after the beep this time in hopes that he would get it. That way, he could at least have some warning. "Um… I know this may be awkward, but… I saw something that involves you. Just… just please call me if you get this message. It's important. Bye." I sighed as I flipped my phone closed and put it back in my pocket. That had been the most awkward message I had ever left. I just hope he got it before… I didn't even want to think of what could happen to him. But he wasn't even in Forks. He was probably safe wherever he was now…

Suddenly, I shrieked when a pair of hot hands landed on my shoulders from behind, and I watched as their owner sat on the swing next to me. "God, Jake. Have you ever considered warning people when you sneak up on them?" I demanded as I willed my heart to slow to its normal rate.

"Sorry, Ali," Jacob replied, giving me a slightly smile. "I just wanted to make sure that you were all right."

I almost felt like screaming at him. Of course I wasn't all right! "Does it look like I'm okay?" I asked sarcastically, a few more tears falling from my eyes.

Jacob appeared hesitant as he looked back at me. "I'm sorry, Ali," he muttered. "I got here as fast as I could when we smelled that bloodsucker. He's gone now, though. I chased him to where Sam, Quil, and Embry were waiting. They took care of him." I

was relieved to hear that Laurent had been taken care of, as he put it, but I shook my head as a quiet sob escaped from me. "That… that's not the reason… Jake…"

Sighing, Jacob slowly reached over and cautiously put his arm around me before pulling me close to him in an embrace. I leaned into his arms, grateful for their comfort as I continued to cry into his shoulder. "What's wrong, Ali?"

"You… you wouldn't care…" I whispered between sobs, truly knowing that Jacob wouldn't care if Jasper lived or died. It's not like they were best friends or anything…

Before Jacob could press me further, I saw the red and blue street lights of a cop patrol car pull up to where Jessica and Angela were waiting, and I pulled out of his arms as I got to my feet. "Come on. I have to go back," I muttered before hurrying toward my two friends. They immediately pulled me into their arms as soon as I reached them, and we watched as the door of the squad car opened and the chief stepped out.

"You girls all right?" Charlie asked.

"We're fine. That guy left a while ago," Jessica answered, glancing at Jacob as he joined our group as well. "He was talking to Alice more than us, so…"

"Alice?" Charlie raised his eyebrow as he turned his attention to me, probably wondering what sort of trouble I had gotten myself into now. "Who was he? Did he tell you?"

"No," I lied, noticing that Jacob was watching me carefully. "He was probably just… some drunk or something. He wasn't making much sense. I almost hit him with my car since he just suddenly stepped out into the road in front of me…"

Charlie sighed. "What are you doing out this late anyway?" he wondered curiously.

"We were just going to get some snacks for our sleepover," Angela told him truthfully.

"Yeah, and we're all eighteen," Jessica added quickly.

"All right." Charlie sighed again as he ran his hand through his dark hair. "I'm going to need you three to come down to the station to fill out your statements. Even you, boy, though they didn't mention anything about you being here…" He was starting to sound suspicious.

"Oh, he's just a friend of mine," I supplied before Jacob could say anything. "He came when I called him. He wasn't here for the actual incident. He doesn't know anything."

Charlie stared Jacob down for a long moment before finally turning away from him. "Then I suggest your friend gets home," he muttered. "As for you three, I need you to follow me to the station in your car."

Jessica and Angela nodded, immediately climbing back into my Porsche as Charlie went to his patrol car. I smiled up at Jacob before giving him a quick hug. "Thanks for helping out with Laurent, Jake," I told him as I headed toward the door of my car. "I'll see you later, all right?"

"See ya', Ali," Jacob replied. "Be careful, okay?"

"I will. Don't worry." I climbed in behind the wheel of my Porsche, putting on my seatbelt as I waited for Charlie to start driving. A single tear fell from my eye since I wasn't able to get the vision I had of Jasper out of my mind…

"Are you sure you don't know that guy, Alice?" Angela asked quietly from the back. "I mean, you got out of the car to see him."

"No, I didn't know him," I answered quietly, sniffing as I wiped my tear away with my hoodie sleeve. "He looked like someone I knew, but it wasn't the same person."

"He didn't hurt you, did he? You seem really upset…"

I shook my head as I started my car since Charlie had begun to pull away. "No, he didn't. I'm just… shaken up, I guess…"

"Well, at least he was chased away by that big dog thing," Jessica muttered, though she appeared to be afraid of that too. "He's gone now…"

Yes, at least Laurent was gone. I put the Porsche in gear as I began to follow Charlie in the direction of the police station. But even though I no longer had to worry about him, Victoria was still out there.

And she was the one that worried me the most.

* * *

Filling out the statements with Charlie did not take long, though I purposely omitted the fact that I had seen Laurent having crimson eyes and that it was a large dog that had chased him away. Since I was so shaken up, and I happened to be having visions at the time, those minute details could have easily been left out.

We left the station about fifteen minutes later, and we were soon on our way back to my house since none of us felt like getting snacks anymore. No one said a word, and the silence was so tense I had to turn on the radio to keep from going crazy.

_"When my time comes _

_Forget the wrong that I've done _

_Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed _

_Don't resent me _

_And when you're feeling empty _

_Keep me in your memory _

_Leave out all the rest…"_

Suddenly, my phone rang, and I quickly pulled it out of my pocket. _"Please… let it be Jasper…"_ I pleaded silently as I flipped it open and brought it to my ear. "Hello?"

_"Alice?" _

_"I'm strong on the surface _

_Not all the way through _

_I've never been perfect _

_But neither have you…"_

I sighed with disappointment when I heard the anxious voice on the other end since it was not the one I wanted to hear. "We're on our way home now, Grandma," I said, hopefully to calm her. "We were just going to get some snacks, but we got distracted."

_"Oh. Just make sure you're home soon. You never know who you'll run into at this time of night."_

For a moment, I thought she knew about Laurent. But I knew that was impossible. "We're almost home, Grandma," I assured her. "I just turned onto the street now."

_"All right. See you soon, dear."_

"See you soon." I sighed as I closed my phone and put it back into my pocket. I still felt as though I had been defeated since Jasper still didn't know that he was going to die…

_"Keep me in your memory _

_Leave out all the rest _

_Leave out all the rest…"_

* * *

_I was crying as I curled in on myself, my small body shaking with fear. The darkness of the small room was suffocating… I was terrified. I wanted to get out of here. Would that rough hand come back for me? _

_Instead, two cold, gentle hands landed on my shoulders, and I blindly leaned forward into the man's arms and hugged him tightly. "It's all right, Alice," he whispered as he picked me up. "I'm here now. You're safe." _

_My small arms tightened around his neck as he began to lead me toward the half-open door. My friend… he had really come for me… _

_Then, I lifted my head and quickly kissed his cheek. "I love you, Cheshire."_

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, I discovered that this Cheshire guy had left me another note when we had been asleep. This one was short and to the point, containing only two words written neatly on the small slip of paper.

_I'm fine._

I was greatly confused by this, but I just set it on top of the other note that he had left for me. But I did know that I was going to figure out who this Cheshire guy was, no matter what it took.

After Jessica and Angela left to go to their respective homes, I searched for my grandmother since there was something that I had to discuss with her. I found her in the living room, lying on the couch as she read a book. I slowly walked into the room, sitting on the floor next to her, waiting until she finally looked over at me.

"Oh, Alice. What is it, honey?" She slowly sat up and took off her reading glasses as she closed the book and placed it on her lap before she gestured for me to sit next to her. I could tell she knew something was wrong.

I slowly climbed up onto the couch beside her, merely looking down at my folded hands. Then, I suddenly burst into tears when the image of Jasper as he lay dying on the stone floor entered my mind again- I couldn't stop them. My grandmother immediately set her book and glasses on the small table beside her before wrapping me in her arms and pulling me close to her. "Goodness, Alice, what's wrong?"

I wanted to tell her about Jasper since I hadn't told anyone about it yet- maybe she could even get a hold of Carlisle or someone since I couldn't. But I knew it wouldn't make sense to her if she didn't know about my gift- or curse, I wasn't sure which- first. "There's something that… that you don't know about me that you should know, Grandma," I muttered once I calmed down a bit. "I have the… ability to…"

"See into the future."

I paused, shocked, as I looked up at my grandmother when she completed my sentence. "You knew?"

My grandmother sighed as she placed her hand gently on top of mine. "I've known about your visions since you were five years old, Alice," she said quietly, and I could detect guilt in her voice. "It's a rather long story… But why are you bringing this up to me now? Have you seen something?"

"Um… yeah," I told her, struggling to repress my tears at the memory. "I was wondering if you could try to get a hold of the Cullens for me. Like, maybe Carlisle or Esme."

"You're not going to tell me what the vision was about, are you?" my grandmother asked quietly.

I slowly shook my head. The agony in Jasper's eyes was too painful to talk about… "At least, not yet, Grandma."

My grandmother sighed. "All right. I'll try to give the Cullens a call…"

She started to stand up, but I gently took her arm to stop her. My grandmother looked down at me with confusion, and I sighed. "First tell me how you knew about my visions when I've only told Edward, Emmett, and the Cullens."

"Well… as I told you, I've known about your visions since you were five years old," my grandmother began her explanation as she sat back against the cushions. "You were spending the weekend with me while your parents took your brothers to New York for a soccer competition. You were fascinated by the snow since you had never seen it before, and you always loved to play in it. We made snowmen, had snowball fights, all of that fun stuff. Before you went to bed, I would read you Alice's Adventures in Wonderland since that was your favorite story when you were young."

I smiled slightly before my grandmother continued, but I was also confused. I didn't remember any of this apart from the part about that being my favorite story…

"You probably don't remember any of this because of the trauma you went through," my grandmother muttered, recognizing my blank expression. "But, you're older now, and you should probably know about this."

"What happened to me?" I asked quietly. What could have been so terrible for me that I would completely forget about it?

My grandmother looked back at me sadly. "It was on the first night of your stay," she answered. "I wasn't aware of it at the time since I was asleep, but you snuck outside in nothing but your pajamas since you thought you saw someone outside of your window. You wandered into the woods around the house, and you got lost inside. I was panicking at this point because I had discovered you were gone and I had no idea where you were. I was so afraid that you were going to freeze to death out there. It was truly a miracle that you were found in time."

"I had a dream about that," I muttered, remembering seeing myself crying in the forest. Then, a man who I couldn't see clearly had found me, and I wasn't afraid of him as he brought me in the direction of what I assumed to be my house.

"Have you seen anything else?" my grandmother wondered.

"Yeah," I said thoughtfully. "I saw the same man reading to me, watching out for me, carrying me out of a small, dark room…"

"Oh, so you know about Jasper already, then."

I looked up at her, not believing what I was hearing. "Wait. Jasper?" I asked. "Jasper Hale?"

My grandmother nodded. "Yes, dear. He's the one who found you that night in the woods when he was hunting all of those years ago."

"But… that can't be…" I muttered, still in shock. "I called that man Cheshire in my dreams…"

My sentence trailed off when my grandmother sighed heavily. "That's what you called him since you didn't know his real name," she told me quietly. "He reminded you of your favorite character from the story, so you just associated the two. To this day, I don't think Jasper knows what drew him to you that night."

I still couldn't believe it. The man I had been seeing in my dreams, who had been my friend when I was little… was really Jasper? It couldn't be… I would have remembered that. Wouldn't I?

"He carried you back to the house, where I was just about to start searching for you myself," my grandmother continued her explanation. "But when he tried to give you back to me, you wouldn't go. You didn't want to leave him." She laughed a little, but there was a bittersweet tone to her voice. A thin line of tears formed in my eyes at this point. "Even then you felt strongly about him.

"That was the first time I ever met Jasper. I had known Carlisle and Esme for a very long time, and I knew that there were three others with them posing as their adopted children. I had met the girls, but never Jasper. I was a bit unsure of him at first, as I told you before, but when I saw how gentle he was with you, all of my doubt was gone."

"How… how do my visions come into this?" I asked. "And that dark room…"

My grandmother sighed, her gaze faltering. "Since you refused to come back to me, Jasper took you into the living room," she answered. "You wanted him to read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to you, so he wrapped you up in a blanket and laid you down on the couch before he sat in a chair and began to read, hopefully so you would fall asleep. You were exhausted." I remembered this part clearly from my dream also.

"But when you were just about to fall asleep, you told him that you knew he was going to come for you. He was confused about this and asked you how you knew, and you told him that you _saw_ it. You went on to describe to him exactly what you saw before it happened, and I overheard you. It made me nervous. I had never heard you talk like that before, and I was worried that maybe you had hit your head in the woods or something. So when you finally let Jasper leave as you were dozing off, I drove you out to the old hospital downtown. You were scared and wanted Jasper, or 'Cheshire' as you called him, but I kept telling you that we weren't going to be there long. It was a mistake I made that night, I realize that now. I'm so sorry, Alice. I never did apologize to you for that…"

I was surprised to see that there was a thin line of tears in my grandmother's eyes, and I tightened my hand around hers hopefully in a comforting way. "It's all right, Grandma. I'm sure what happened that night wasn't your fault."

My grandmother took a deep breath as she wiped her tears away with her free hand. "I know, but I can't help but feel responsible since I was the one who brought you to the hospital," she told me. "But when the doctor was finally able to see you, he wasn't in the greatest mood since he was supposed to be off duty at that time. You didn't want to tell him what you told Jasper since he scared you, so I had to explain to him what you were claiming was happening to you. He then took you with him, and I later found out from Carlisle that he took you into this small dark room for questioning and tests."

I clearly remembered the fear from the rough hand that grabbed me from the darkness, the owner being the doctor that thought something was wrong with me just because I could see things that other people couldn't. "I was calling out for Jasper," I whispered, seeing myself struggling in the doctor's hold and screaming the name "Cheshire," the fear so intense I could almost still feel it.

"That doesn't surprise me," my grandmother said sadly, tightening her hand around mine as well. "I couldn't hear you, and I didn't know how badly you were being treated. You were in there for two hours since you weren't cooperating before Jasper came for you. I later learned of his ability involving emotions, which is how he knew you were so scared. Carlisle was with him since he was the head doctor, and they immediately went to you. Jasper brought you out of the dark room, and I clearly remember watching you kiss his cheek and telling him that you loved him. Even at that age, you considered him a good friend, one that only you knew, and you were very attached to him."

I smiled and laughed a little, knowing that my grandmother probably didn't know about him visiting me at night. "So, what happened after Jasper brought me out of that room?" I asked.

"He and Carlisle took you to their house," my grandmother answered. "Carlisle was feeling very guilty about what happened to you that night, and he kept telling me that it wouldn't have happened if he had been on duty. But, he was interested in your ability and didn't think that something was wrong with you, which was why they brought you back with them so he could learn more about it. You responded well to Carlisle and liked him a lot, but you still wanted to stay close to your Jasper. The interesting thing that Carlisle told me the next day was your answer to his question about if you had seen anything else before your vision of Jasper coming to get you. You told him no- Jasper was your first."

More tears came to my eyes then, and I suddenly felt that connected me to Jasper in another, stronger way. My first vision was of him…

"You spent the night with them, sleeping on the couch with Jasper sitting in a chair near you to watch over you since you were having nightmares about being in that small, dark room with that doctor," my grandmother continued. "The next day, you were playing with Bella and Jasper in the snow all afternoon, and when Jasper brought you home, you were so excited to tell me about your snow angel."

"My snow angel?" I repeated with confusion.

"That's what you considered Jasper to be," my grandmother replied with a laugh. "I think you meant your guardian angel, you just didn't know that term when you were at that age. But you had the right idea by the way you were describing him to me- someone who was there and always watching over you. I believe the term 'snow angel' actually came from the fact that you were making them in the backyard with him. You were so determined to make a snow angel as big as his one day."

I couldn't help but laugh a little at the image of a five-year-old version of me making snow angels with Jasper. I would never be tall enough to make one as big as his… "I bet I wasn't happy to leave Forks after that."

"You bet you weren't," my grandmother confirmed with a grin. "You threw such a fit. You didn't want to leave Cheshire, your snow angel." It had a nice ring to it. "It was a time you have forgotten due to the severe trauma you went through at the hospital, but Jasper never forgot about you. That's why I'm not surprised your relationship with him is so strong now. But it makes it harder to deal with his leaving now that you know that, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," I nodded, not able to meet my grandmother's gaze. "But something tells me that he's still watching over me, even now."

My grandmother's smile broadened as he squeezed my hand again. "That would not surprise me," she muttered. "I have a feeling that he will always be your snow angel."

I smiled slightly at the thought, but then it vanished when I remembered the vision I had of Jasper last night, and I knew "forever" might not be as long as it seemed. "Grandma, weren't you going to try to call the Cullens?"

"Oh, yes. I'll try reaching Carlisle." My grandmother suddenly looked concerned. "What was your vision about, dear?"

"It… it was about Jasper…" My sentence trailed off when tears rushed to my eyes.

Seeming to understand the importance of what I had seen, my grandmother reached over and grabbed the hand-held phone, quickly dialing a number. I held my breath as I waited anxiously, watching her carefully. But when I saw the disappointed look cross her face, I knew that Carlisle wasn't going to answer.

**A/N**: Isn't the image of Jasper and a little Alice making snow angels together just adorable? Lol. Okay, well that's it for that one. The next update won't come as fast, but I'll try to get it up as soon as possible. Thanks for reading guys! I hope you enjoyed it! Your reviews are much appreciated! Enjoy the preview!

**Next Chapter**: _Return to Port Angeles_

_But either way, I knew her goal would be achieved. Either way, I knew she would somehow kill me._

Xxx

_"Wouldn't it be easier just to take my car?" I wondered, having to raise my voice slightly since it was muffled._

_Jacob laughed as he put his own helmet on, placing his hand lightly on my shoulder as he led me toward the motorcycle. "Yeah, but this will be more fun."_

Xxx

_I was hoping that Jasper would be all right, but with these visions were showing me…_

_I knew that I would have to sacrifice my happy ending with him here in Forks so that he would survive._


	16. Chapter 11: Return to Port Angeles

**Disclaimer**: Nope, none of these characters are mine! They all belong to Stephenie Meyer! And "Pocketful of Sunshine" doesn't belong to me either. That's Natasha Bedingfield's.

**A/N**: Hey! I'm so sorry for the long wait, guys! But, I'm finally out of high school, so I should have a lot more time for writing now. The past few days at school have been hectic, so I haven't had much time. But thank you so much for your reviews and your patience, and so I don't have to keep you waiting any longer, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

_Chapter 11- Return to Port Angeles_

I still couldn't believe that I had known Jasper since I was five years old- I wish I remembered that point in my life or that he would have at least told me about it so I could remember it. Besides the incident at the hospital, those seemed to be wonderful memories- memories that I couldn't fully enjoy due to that trauma.

After the discussion with my grandmother about my past and how Jasper was a part of it, I received no more letters from him as Cheshire- it was probably because he somehow knew that I was aware of it now. But did that mean that Jasper really was still in Forks and was keeping an eye on me after all? It was possible…

No. He had left, my heart was telling me he had, along with the rest of his family. All I had left of him now were the memories my mind was now providing me, some of which I had forgotten.

That night, I sat on my windowsill to look out at the star-filled sky since the weather was mild, trying to sort through all of what my grandmother had told me. It seemed so unreal- it was like something you would only find in a fairytale. Jasper had been an important part of my life for longer than I realized, which made his leaving all the more painful…

"Ali."

I looked down when I quietly heard my name, and I tried to give Jacob the best smile that I could as he climbed the tree next to the house and sat on the branch nearest the ledge. "Hey, Jake."

"Hey." There was a concerned look on Jacob's face as he looked back at me. "Is everything okay, Ali?"

"Yeah." That wasn't true. Now that I knew about my past with Jasper, it only made me long for him more. But because of the threat that Laurent had told me involving Victoria, I at least felt somewhat better knowing that Jasper was safer wherever he was now than here with me in Forks.

Jacob sighed, dropping his gaze from mine for a minute. Then, he slowly, almost hesitantly looked back up at me. "What… what was wrong that night that bloodsucker found you?" he asked quietly. "You were such a wreck…"

I was still a wreck- it just wasn't showing through on the outside at the moment. "There's nothing anyone can do about it, Jake," I answered, putting another fake smile on my face to appease him. "It's… it's about Jasper…" I really didn't feel like getting into detail with him about it since he didn't know about my visions.

"What about him?" A flicker of emotion passed through Jacob's eyes that I couldn't read, but I knew that I could safely assume that it wasn't a positive feeling. I was sure he thought that since the Cullens left, he would never have to hear about Jasper again…

Before I could give him some lame answer or find a way to change the subject, I felt my body stiffen when my vision began to fade…

"Ali?" I could barely hear Jacobs voice, but I could pick out the confusion and worry in his tone.

I couldn't answer him. I felt my fingers begin to tighten their grasp on the windowsill beneath me as an image suddenly entered my mind when my vision completely vanished.

_Everything was completely dark._

_My ragged breathing matched the uneven gasps from the one that lay on the floor before me with his head resting on my lap, and I was filled with fear as I grasped his cold hand tightly in mine and ran my fingers over his forehead soothingly. "It'll be all right, Jasper," I whispered, hoping to hide that fear from him. "It'll be all right…"_

_But despite my reassurance, I knew it wouldn't be all right. I knew as well as he did that only one of us was going to make it through this alive._

_Jasper's hand then tightened around mine, and I did the same. "Alice…" he muttered, his voice weak. "You have to promise me something, Alice…"_

"_What is it?" I asked, hoping to keep my tone strong. There was no promise that I wouldn't make to Jasper as long as it was in my power to uphold it._

"_You have to promise me that when the time comes… you will tell her to take me instead of you…"_

_Tears instantly rushed to my eyes when I realized what he was asking me to do, and it was difficult to keep those tears back. "No, Jasper, I can't do that," I said anxiously, feeling a couple of tears escape despite my efforts to restrain them. "I can't let you die…"_

_I gasped quietly when Jasper was suddenly sitting up in front of me, his cold forehead placed lightly against mine. "I've already been on this earth longer than I was meant to be," he told me quietly, his breathing heavy from the effort of the simple action. "I love you more than my own life is worth, Alice. I am not going to let her take you."_

_I couldn't bring myself to answer him. Instead, I carefully leaned into his embrace so I wouldn't hurt him as tears silently fell from my eyes, feeling comforted by him rubbing my back as he held me protectively. I couldn't lose him…_

_But then, I shrieked as Jasper shielded me with his arms when the door toe the room suddenly opened and flooded the room with bright light, and I held him tightly as I watched with rising fear as crimson eyes and flaming red hair came toward us._

_I knew then that she was going to take my Jasper from me._

* * *

I felt a single tear fall from my eyes as I came back to the present. If Victoria's goal was to punish me for what had happened to James, she was doing a pretty good job of it already with the visions that her decisions were causing me to have. I knew that I was her primary target since it was my fault that her mate was dead- she was just going to hurt Jasper to get to me. From what these flashes were showing me, I saw two possible outcomes to her revenge.

She was either going to take my life right away, like the whole "mate for a mate" thing, or she was going to take the life of the one I loved most so that I could share her pain since he was the one who actually killed James. I couldn't let that happen to Jasper, so I knew what the likely outcome would be…

But either way, I knew her goal would be achieved. Either way, I knew she would somehow kill me.

With this in mind, I felt my fingers slowly release their iron grip on the windowsill as I wavered, my body limply falling toward the quickly approaching ground below.

"Whoa, Ali!"

My fall was then cushioned by a pair of hot arms that caught me before I could hit the ground and lowered me gently to the grass, and I slowly opened my eyes to see Jacob looking down at me, his wide eyes filled with anxiety. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said immediately, sitting up unsteadily with Jacob being of some support. "I sometimes have these… fainting spells…"

Jacob looked down at me incredulously. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked quietly. "You're not going to like… pass out or anything, are you?"

"Yes to your first question and no to your second," I muttered as I got to my feet, clinging to the tree since I was still wavering. Jacob immediately jumped to his feet and placed his hands securely on my arms. "I'm fine. I can make it back inside on my own, thank you."

"Yeah, but this will be faster." Jacob suddenly put me on his back, and before I even had the chance to scream, he was climbing the tree and setting me carefully back on the windowsill.

"Warn me next time, would you?" I glared at him.

Jacob grinned back at me. "Sorry, Ali. Just thought I'd help out a little."

I rolled my eyes and laughed a little as I jumped down from the windowsill into my room and wandered over to my desk. My eyes lingered on the spot where some of my favorite pictures had once been…

Edward, Emmett, and I in the desert back in Phoenix…

Bella and I on a school field trip the year before…

Rosalie and I trying on clothes on one of our many shopping trips…

Esme, Bella, and I making cookies together for the last day of school last year…

Emmett and I playing football when he was teaching me how to pass…

Edward teaching me how to play the piano…

"Take your child to work day" when Carlisle brought me, Jasper, Rosalie, Bella, Edward, and Emmett to the hospital with him…

My absolute favorite pictures of Jasper and I in different places, such as outside in the snow, climbing trees, him playing his guitar for me, on a school field trip…

All of these pictures, my memories, had disappeared the same day the Cullens left… It was like Jasper had said and they had never been a part of my life, even my own two brothers…

_"Take me away_

_Our secret place_

_Our sweet escape_

_Take me away_

_Take me away_

_To better days_

_Take me away_

_Our hiding place…"_

Trying to ignore the song that was now playing softly on my radio, I turned to the window again when I realized that Jacob was still there, watching me carefully. Concerned that I was going to pass out or something, probably…

"Is there a reason that you came here besides to check up on me, Jake?" I asked.

Jacob sighed. "Uh, yeah," he answered quietly. "Since the only time I saw you on your birthday was when I chased away that bloodsucker, I, along with Emily and Sam, want to take you shopping in Port Angeles tomorrow so you can get some things you want. Would you like to? I mean, would tomorrow work for you?"

We still had another week left of break, so I had plenty of time. Time wasn't the problem. "Port Angeles?" I repeated unsurely. My memories of that place where mingled…

"Yeah. Is there something wrong with Port Angles?"

"No," I told him quickly. "Um, yeah. Tomorrow would be great."

Jacob smiled. "All right. So, we'll pick you up at… one?"

I smiled in return. "One would be fine."

"Okay. See you then. Good night, Ali."

"Night, Jake."

I watched Jacob jump down from the tree branch out of sight before sighing and collapsing onto my bed. Mina, now that the potential threat of the dog was gone, slowly climbed up onto the bed and curled up against my side, purring with content when I began to absently rub her stomach. It had been hard enough going to Port Angeles with my grandmother for my birthday. Could I really return in such a short period of time?

Yes, I thought, yes I could. I was determined not to be defeated by Jasper's sudden departure, and I wouldn't allow the emptiness it left behind to consume me and stop me from having fun with the friends that I still had here. Besides, nothing would go wrong on this shopping trip.

At least, I hoped it wouldn't.

_

* * *

_

_Congratulations! Your COMBUSKEN has evolved into BLAZIKEN!_

I smiled as I saved the game and switched it off since it was almost one and I would be leaving soon. Setting it aside on the couch, I got to my feet and went into the kitchen where my grandmother was making her awesome sugar cookies.

"Hello, dear. Are you ready for when your friends come?" she asked, rinsing the dough from her hands.

"Yep." I smiled as I stole some of the leftover dough from the bowl with my finger- just like I had always done since I was a little girl. "I'm ready."

My grandmother laughed a little, shaking her head as she dried her hands. "Oh, Alice…"

I smiled broadly, but then it vanished and was replaced with confusion when I heard the sound of two loud engines coming from outside. My grandmother turned to me with a knowing smile. "I think your friends are here."

Wondering what the loud sound was, I went back into the living room to look out the window. When I pushed open the curtains, my eyes widened.

There were two black motorcycles sitting in my driveway. Sam and Emily stood by one and both held helmets under their arms, their long hair tied back behind their heads and wearing leather jackets. Jacob stood by the other, his hair also tied back and also wearing a leather jacket, and he smiled and waved at me when he saw me looking at them from the window. I smiled slightly as I waved back, but it vanished as I closed the curtains and a feeling of nervousness ran through me. Great. I had never ridden a motorcycle before…

"Uh… I may not be coming home again, Grandma…"

"Nonsense." My grandmother appeared in the living room then, hugging me tightly and kissing my head. "You'll be fine. Jacob assured me it was safe. Just try to have some fun, dear."

I smiled back at her before I turned and opened the front door, stepping out onto the porch and looking at the motorcycles with disbelief. Just my luck, I'd go flying off the thing, even though Jacob claimed that it was "safe."

"Hey, Ali." Jacob had a huge smile on his face as he met me at the bottom of the porch steps. "Ready to go?"

"Sure, I guess…" My eyes flickered nervously as they ran over the bikes. I had to admit, though, they were beautiful…

Jacob laughed, seeming to guess my fear. "Don't worry. It's safe," he assured me, reaching into the bag he was holding and pulling out an extra helmet before handing it to me. "Even for you."

I couldn't help but smile as I held the helmet, looking it over as I tried to figure out if there was something special that needed to be done to put it on. Jacob left for a moment, setting the empty bag on the edge of my porch before coming back and taking the helmet from my hands. "Here, let me help you."

Though I watched him carefully, I couldn't see exactly what he did to it, but it was then gently placed on my head as he checked to make sure it was secure. "That should be good…"

"Wouldn't it be easier to just take my car?" I wondered, having to raise my voice slightly since it was muffled.

Jacob laughed as he put his own helmet on, placing his hand lightly on my shoulder as he led me toward the motorcycle. "Yeah, but this will be more fun," he replied before turning to look over his shoulder. "You guys ready?"

I saw with surprise that Sam and Emily were already seated on their bike again, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist as he kicked out the kickstand so his feet were the only things supporting them. Sam then glanced back at Emily, kissing her quickly and tenderly before they put their helmets back on. Once her arms were securely around him again, Sam turned his attention back to us and gave Jacob a thumb's up.

"All righty. Let's go then." I was sure that Jacob was grinning broadly under his helmet as he grabbed the motorcycle handles to hold it steady for me. "You get on first, Ali."

Sighing, I placed my hands on the seat as I tried to push myself up onto it, but my legs were a bit too short, so I had to have a little help from Jacob. I was instantly relieved that I had the helmet on so he couldn't see the embarrassed blush creeping up to my cheeks. He then climbed on in front of me, and I hesitantly wrapped my arms around his waist- hey, I didn't want to fall off. But I couldn't help but notice that it just didn't feel right like when I had my arms around Jasper…

"Are you ready?" Jacob asked as he turned to glance back at me.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I answered unenthusiastically.

Jacob laughed as he kicked out the kickstand and started the bike, Sam doing the same from beside us, and I shrieked as I tightened my arms around him. "Let's head out then."

I closed my eyes tightly as he turned the motorcycle around and slowly went down my driveway. Then, my arms tightened even more around him instinctively when he sped off down the street, and I had to fight back a scream. But after the initial seconds, I was able to open my eyes and watch as we headed in the direction of Port Angeles, Sam and Emily close beside us. I had to admit it was kind of fun once you got used to it… almost like vampire running speed…

No.

I stopped that thought before it could go any farther. This was a special birthday trip that was meant to be spent with friends, not dwelling on Jasper. Granted he was always on my mind in some form or another, but I would not let the memories ruin the day. Not when I was with people who still cared about me.

I had no idea what time it was, but we arrived in Port Angeles what felt as though was a short time later. Jacob got off the motorcycle first and held it steady for me as I slowly climbed off before he put the kickstand down and the keys in the pocket of his leather jacket. Then, he pulled his helmet off, placing it on the ground for a moment as he smiled and helped take mine off. Even though I was trying to watch what he was doing, I still couldn't see exactly what latches he was pushing to tighten and loosen it. It was very frustrating…

"So, how was your first motorcycle ride?" Jacob asked me, his smile still lingering.

"Surprisingly… it was a lot of fun!" I replied, a true smile appearing on my face for the first time in a while. "Almost makes me want to have one of my own at some point. I'll have to ride one a couple of more times to make sure, though."

Jacob laughed a little. "Interesting you should say that," he muttered. "Would your grandmother like kill you if you were to perhaps get one at some point in the future?"

I looked at him with shock. "You mean to say that…"

"Just answer the question please, Ali," Jacob interrupted with a slight laugh.

"Um… no, I don't think so," I said, really unsure of what to say. I had never talked to my grandmother about getting a motorcycle before. "I don't think it would be a big deal. Besides, I'm eighteen now, so there isn't much she can do anyway."

"Well, there's going to have to be a rain check on my gift for you today then."

I raised my eyebrow, but before I could get any more information out of him, Sam and Emily approached us with smiles on their faces. "So, are you ready for some shopping, birthday girl?" she asked.

"Yeah!" I answered with excitement. I loved shopping- it was the perfect stress release and distraction.

Emily smiled as she put her arm around me, and we began to walk toward the stretch of stores that awaited us. "You're the boss today, girl. Let's go!"

The shopping expedition was a definite success. Emily bought me a light purple sundress and a pair of heeled sandals for the approaching summer that I chose, and Sam got me some music books for my new keyboard that I picked out, even one that included special songs from their culture. Jacob continually apologized for his delay in a gift, and each time I told him that it wasn't a big deal, but it gave me an idea of what it was going to be.

Over dinner, we discussed what it felt like for me to now be eighteen.

"So, does it feel any different?" Emily wondered.

"Not yet," I told her with a smile. "But it is kind of nice to not have a curfew and to be able to call and order pointless things off those really annoying T.V. commercials." This comment made Jacob and Sam laugh, and I couldn't breathe since I was laughing so hard when some of Jacob's milkshake came out of his nose while Emily frantically searched for a napkin for him.

But about halfway through dinner, the nerves in my stomach rose so high that they wouldn't allow me to eat. With the visions that I was still getting, Victoria was still set on her plans for revenge, which meant that Jasper's life was still in danger. I had to try to warn him, at least one more time.

"I'll be right back, guys," I suddenly muttered as I quickly stood up. "I have to go make a phone call."

"All right, Alice. Take your time…" I could feel the concerned eyes of Emily, Sam, and especially Jacob on me intently as I quickly left the restaurant, but I ignored them as I pulled out my cell phone and walked toward the darkened parking lot. I felt tears come to my eyes when I dialed Jasper's number and it rang once before going straight to his voicemail. I listened to his voice for only a second before flipping my phone closed, not even bothering to leave a message. I desperately hoped that Jasper would be all right and that nothing had happened to him already, but with what these visions were showing me…

I knew that I would have to sacrifice my happy ending with him here in Forks so that he would survive.

I slowly looked around me at the dark parking lot as a tear fell from my eye, realizing that it was almost exactly the same as the time I was here with Rosalie and Bella a year before when we came shopping for dresses and other camping supplies. The only thing that was missing now was…

"Hey there, Cutie."

**A/N**: Again, I apologize for the longer wait! I'll try to update more frequently since I don't have school anymore. Thanks for reading. Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you, and enjoy the preview!

**Next Chapter**: _Mad World_

"_Look, I'm sure you don't, but I need to get back to my friends now." I tried to get past him again, but sighed with frustration when he put his hand on my shoulder to hold me back._

"_Oh, no, doll. You're not going anywhere," Royce told me quietly, almost darkly._

Xxx

_But when I opened my eyes again, I screamed with fear when I saw a pale woman with long, flaming red hair standing by my bed with a dark glint to her crimson eyes._

_It was Victoria._

Xxx

_I was empty- just a hollow shell that was barely on the verge of existing. The only things that kept me from being completely consumed by this emptiness were the wolves. They gave me a reason to still be here._

Xxx

_"A story of childhood playmates who grow into soul mates," I muttered as I looked down at the book in my hands. "Two people who believe they're destined to love each other forever…" I found myself laughing a little as I allowed the book to drop to the floor as I sat on my bed again._

"_Forever doesn't exist…"_


	17. Chapter 12: Mad World

**Disclaimer**: Uh, nope. These are all Meyer's characters. The song "Mad World" doesn't belong to me either. Actually, I'm not quite sure who it belongs to, lol. But it's definitely not me!

**A/N**: Hey! Thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry for the cliffie after the long wait. But as you guys know from the last one (and even this one) I'm notorious for them! I have to say I love being out of school since it gives me much more writing time! I actually have the next couple done, so you should (in theory) see some more updates from me after this weekend. Tomorrow I can't update since I have my graduation and then on Sunday the library isn't open, so I can't get to a computer. But, hopefully Monday or Tuesday you'll see the next chapter. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the last one, so here's the next one! Oh, and there's a clue in here about what the next one will be about. See if you can catch it!

_Chapter 12- Mad World_

"Hey there, Cutie."

I turned around to face the owner of the voice since he was standing right behind me, and I found myself face to face with Royce King. Well, face to chest since I was so much shorter than him… But, at least I had found the missing part from last time.

"Hi," I replied, trying to step around him. I didn't want to deal with this guy at the moment… or any moment for that matter.

"Where are ya' goin' in such a hurry?" Royce asked, blocking my way every time I tried to get past him. "Stay and relax for a little while. We don't bite." There was that laughter again- that telltale laughter that told me Royce wasn't alone as his gang slowly gathered around me.

"Look, I'm sure you don't, but I need to get back to my friends now." I tried to get past him again, but sighed with frustration when he put his hand on my shoulders to hold me back.

"Oh, no, doll. You're not going anywhere," Royce told me quietly, almost darkly.

I looked up at him nervously as he slid his hand down to my waist, but then my eyes darted across the parking lot when I saw slight movement. I gasped when I saw Jasper, tensed angrily as he glared at Royce, his golden eyes intent as he prepared to lunge. But before he could move, Royce used his other hand to turn my face roughly back to him.

"You're mine this time, sweetheart."

Suddenly, a hand landed on Royce's shoulder and pulled him back away from me, and I cringed when whoever had come to my rescue punched him forcefully in the jaw. Royce screamed in pain and fell to the hard ground, writhing with the agony of being hit there again. Talk about déjà vu… For one, hopeful moment, I thought it was once again Jasper who had stopped Royce, just as he did last time. But after a moment, I saw that it was actually Sam who was standing in the light coming down from the street lamp above us, glaring down at Royce for a long moment before he turned on the other members of his gang.

"Who else wants to get close to her?" he demanded fiercely. Even I shivered nervously though his anger wasn't directed toward me. Though Sam was typically soft spoken, he could be very frightening if he had to be. I now could see why he was the leader of the La Push wolves.

The rest of the guys backed away from him in fear, grabbing Royce from the ground as they ran as fast as they could across the parking lot across from us… right toward the spot where Jasper had been standing. Of course, he wasn't there anymore… Damn wishful thinking. Damn hallucinations.

Then, I was brought out of my thoughts by a pair of hot hands landing gently on my arms, and I looked up into the concerned face of Sam. "Are you all right, Alice?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah," I answered only half-heartedly. "I'm fine…"

Sam sighed, putting his arm around me and pulling me close to his side as he began to lead me back toward the restaurant where we had been having dinner, and I saw Jacob and Emily waiting anxiously for us outside by the door with my bags. "Come on, then," he muttered, glancing behind him to make sure that we weren't being followed by Royce or any of his guys. "Let's get you home."

* * *

The rest of the week passed by quickly, and the night before school started again to finish off the year was here before I knew it. Not much had happened with that passing of days except for my surprising new liking of wrestling since Mike continually talked about it and invited me over to watch it one night. I didn't think I ever would like the sport, but there was just something about watching guys beat the crap out of each other when you were upset that seemed to help your mood. Plus, it made it more enjoyable when you found a people you liked in it, including a guy who always changed his look who had insane moves and one who could roll his eyes back into his head. They were awesome.

That night, though, I lay in bed with the lights off, allowing the rays from the full moon to be the only source. I couldn't sleep since there was so much on my mind, even though it was very late for a school night. I continued to wonder if Jasper and the rest of the Cullen family were all right, despite the combating anger I had toward them for leaving me. I wondered if what Laurent had said was true and Victoria really was after me. I wondered if she would really go after Jasper too…

I must have dozed off for a little while during my musings since the last time I remembered it being was a little after midnight, and now as I glanced at the clock, it was three in the morning. Sighing, I rubbed my eyes as I turned onto my back. At least I had gotten _some_ sleep and wouldn't be completely dead tomorrow.

But when I opened my eyes again, I screamed with fear when I saw a pale woman with long, flaming red hair standing by my bed with a dark glint to her crimson eyes.

It was Victoria.

Okay, the "completely dead" analogy had not been a smart one to use…

She smirked cruelly when she heard my scream, and she took a few steps closer to me. I pulled my blanket up to my chin as I tried to hide beneath it. Yeah, like that would do much good…

But then, Victoria stopped and quickly turned to face the window, and I cautiously lowered the blanket as I followed her gaze. My eyes widened in both shock and fear. No, he shouldn't have been there… not with her plans…

"Jasper, run!" I cried, wondering if it was really him or I was just yelling at another one of my hallucinations.

Surprised by the sudden outburst, Jasper looked over at me for a moment before turning his attention back to Victoria when she moved for me again. He snarled threateningly as I scrunched down in my bed behind my blanket and closed my eyes, almost able to feel the coldness of her reaching hand against my arm…

Suddenly, the door opened and the lights turned on, casting a blinding light through the room. I shrieked with surprise before slowly, cautiously lowering the blanket again, seeing that both Victoria and Jasper were gone… if they had even been there at all.

"Alice, are you all right, dear?"

I looked up, seeing that my grandmother was now standing over me with concern. "Yeah. I'm fine, Grandma," I answered quietly with a sigh as I slowly sat up. "It was just a nightmare…"

"All right…" My grandmother leaned down and kissed the top of my head. "Try to get a little more sleep now. You've got a long day tomorrow with going back to school. But, there's only one month left until you graduate!"

"Yeah…" I smiled slightly, but the word "graduate" didn't really brighten up my mood. I remembered the conversations Jasper and I had about what we would do after we graduated, including me moving in with him and us visiting his hometown in Texas. Now, though, because the Cullens had left and Victoria had some vendetta against me, that wouldn't be possible…

My grandmother looked down at me sadly as she placed a hand on my head comfortingly. "I'm here if you need me, dear," she told me quietly. "I love you, Alice."

"I love you too, Grandma."

With a sigh, my grandmother slowly turned and headed for the door. I watched her turn off my light and leave my room, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, I put my head in my hands and groaned in frustration. I was losing my mind, there was no other way to explain it. Why couldn't these hallucinations just stop? If only I was blind. Then, I wouldn't see him anymore…

But then, I slowly raised my head in confusion. "Mina?" I called out softly, looking around for her curiously. She had been sitting on my bed with me before I fell asleep, but now she was gone. Something must have scared her…

I climbed out of bed, slowly walking over to my closet since the door was open slightly. I knelt down in front of it and opened it wider, immediately noticing her green eyes catch the moonlight. "Mina, what's wrong?" I asked, seeing that she was shaking toward the back of my closet. She wouldn't have gotten this scared by my grandmother entering the room and turning on the light. The only time she ever got this freaked was if…

Gasping quietly, I turned to look at the window. Had he really been here after all? Had Victoria really been here then too? I knew that the only time that Mina got so scared she hid in the closet was whenever Jasper was here.

* * *

I hadn't gotten any more sleep that night, so I was exhausted all through school the next day. I kept to myself- I talked to no one, I sat by myself whenever I could, I didn't answer any questioned asked my teachers in their lessons like I usually did. Everyone was concerned since I was usually much more cheerful and bubbly, but not today. I was empty- just a hollow shell that was barely on the verge of existing. The only things that kept me from being completely consumed by this emptiness were the wolves. They gave me a reason to still be here.

The only one at school who didn't seem to be concerned about me was Lauren. Whenever she was around me, she made sure that the discussion she was having with her friends was about how Jasper had left me. She was confident that I was the reason he had left, and she wasn't afraid to announce that he would never have left here. This actually made me laugh a little. Jasper would never have even considered being with Lauren, and if he had been, I was sure he would have left her much sooner. But overall, her words did nothing to improve my mood.

It was a relief to me to finally be in the sanctuary of my own dark room as I collapsed onto my bed that night. I looked around at my bookshelf filled with books, the notebooks for school that were scattered on my desk near the window, my continually growing bamboo plant in the corner, the blank spot on the wall where my favorite picture of Jasper used to hang…

_"All around me are familiar faces_

_Worn out places_

_Worn out faces_

_Bright and early for the daily races_

_Going nowhere_

_Going nowhere…"_

I slowly got up and went over to my bookshelf, pulling out my copy of the classic we were going to be studying for English class. Wuthering Heights. Almost ironic really…

_"And I find it kind of funny_

_I find it kind of sad_

_The dreams in which I'm dying_

_Are the best I've ever had…"_

"A story of childhood playmates who grow into soul mates," I muttered as I looked down at the book in my hands. "Two people who believe they're destined to love each other forever…" I found myself laughing a little as I allowed the book to drop to the floor before I sat down on my bed again.

"Forever doesn't exist…" Tears filled my eyes as the words escaped from me. They were both tears of sorrow and of anger, both emotions directed equally at Jasper. "At least when it comes to being with the one person that's meant for you…"

I grabbed my pillow then and held it close to my chest, beginning to sob quietly so I wouldn't wake my grandmother. Just like Catherine in the book, I had believed the same thing. I had believed that I would be with Jasper forever. But clearly, that "happily ever after" ending didn't happen in real life.

But the part that tore me apart the most was that no matter how angry I was at him for leaving me, I still loved Jasper. I knew that he was the one that I was meant to be with. He had been a big part of my life, more so than I had ever imagined, and though he had taken my heart with him when he left me behind, it still belonged only to him. I still loved him…

Suddenly, a feeling of exhaustion swarmed over me, and my eyes began to close as my sobs slowed to a stop. My mind was numb- it was almost as though I was in limbo, somewhere between life and death, not even existing.

_"And I find it kind of funny_

_I find it kind of sad_

_The dreams in which I'm dying_

_Are the best I've ever had…"_

I felt a pair of cold, gentle hands on my shoulders, supporting me as the pillow was taken from my grasp. Then, the arms those hands belonged to picked me up and laid me down so that my head was resting on my pillow before my blanket was brought up to my shoulders. A finger gently wiped my tears away before cold lips lightly kissed my forehead.

Then, whoever had been with me left, though I didn't want them to, and I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

_Jasper POV_

I sent a calm wave to the sobbing Alice from where I was secretly watching her from the branch outside, relieved when her quiet sobbing stopped. I normally would not have intervened, but the sound of her broken tears was crushing. She was completely falling apart.

She hadn't been this bad since I left her four months ago…

When I felt as though it was finally safe, I silently entered her room through the window, delicately placing my hands on Alice's shoulders to hold her while I took her pillow and placed it back on her bed. Then, I lifted her up effortlessly into my arms and lay her back down so she was comfortable before covering her up with the blanket. Finally, I gently wiped away the tears that lingered on her cheeks before lightly kissing her forehead. I loved her more than anything, which was why I continued to come back to check on her even though we were supposed to be out of her life. I couldn't do that to her…

But guilt was viciously tearing at me from the inside out as I looked down on her sleeping form now. I knew that her breaking down was all my doing…

Once I was sure that she would sleep peacefully for now, I quickly climbed back through the window to the tree branch where two of my siblings were waiting for me.

"Jasper, I'm not sure if it was a good idea to do that," Rosalie muttered, though I could feel that she was as concerned about Alice as I was.

"Does it look like she knows what's going on?" I asked sadly. "She's breaking down completely, Rose."

"All I'm saying that she's more perceptive than you think, Jasper. She probably already knows that we've all been sneaking back here to check on her."

I sighed, knowing that this was true. Alice was very perceptive… My gaze then moved to Emmett, who was staying strangely silent as he looked at Alice. I didn't need my ability to read his troubled expression- Edward had worn a similar one when he came with me a couple of nights ago with Bella. I knew Emmett was extremely worried about his younger sister, and it was taking all of his strength to keep form running inside the house and holding her. I was fighting the same battle. But we all knew that it wouldn't be a wise idea to announce our presence since we weren't supposed to make ourselves known to her.

"That may be, Rose, but it's more important that we come to her now than before," I finally replied to my sister. "Victoria was here last night when I came alone."

Emmett tore his eyes away from Alice with shock and anger. "What? Why didn't you say anything before, Jazz?"

"I wanted to keep it quiet since she didn't actually do anything," I said, hopefully to calm him. "But I think we should increase our efforts to watch Alice, and we shouldn't come alone anymore. I'm not exactly sure what her plans involving her are, but I know she's planning something against Alice due to what happened to James last year."

Rosalie was now very worried, and Emmett took her hand tightly in his since I was sure he could feel her worry through me. I sighed as I looked back at the sleeping Alice. A low growl began in my throat when I thought of Victoria standing at her bedside, so close to her as she reached out for her…

No matter what it took, I would not allow her to harm my Alice.

**A/N**: So, anyone catch the small clue about what the third story's going to be about? But yep, all of the Cullen siblings have periodically been checking up on Alice. So, you guys were right on that! Oh, and I'm sorry it was a shorter chapter. Basically, it was supposed to be Alice's last major breakdown before really bad things start happening, so I think you guys will like where it goes from here. It's starting to sway into "Eclipse" more now, but there will still be a lot of "New Moon" influence. So, I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated! Thank you, and enjoy the preview! It is all from Alice's POV. You'll probably recognize some of it from the trailer in the last story.

**Next Chapter**: _Ring Around the Rosy_

I was falling and falling fast. A scream ripped from my throat when I realized too late what was happening, and I hit the water, the blackness of the waves surrounding me. I was tossed roughly in different directions, my body being twisted in many unnatural ways as I completely lost my sense of direction. I couldn't find where the surface was. I couldn't breathe. I was going to die…

Xxx

_And now that I was older, we viewed each other in a new way. I may have loved him all of those years ago, but that love had changed from just a playmate to a soul mate. Jasper had been my life, my everything. What did I have now that he was gone?_

Xxx

_I laughed a little myself as I walked over to stand next to him. "All right, Jake. I give. What is it?"_

"_Watch and you'll see." Jacob's smile broadened as he quickly removed the blanket. "Voila!"_

_My eyes widened when I saw what was beneath the blanket._

Xxx

_"Alice!" Jacob shouted with worry, dropping down in the sand on his knees beside me. He grabbed my shoulders and turned me onto my back as he began to shake me anxiously, but I didn't respond to him. I instead began to cry as my head lolled limply on the soft ground. "Help! Somebody help!"_

"… _we all fall down."_


	18. Chapter 13: Ring Around the Rosy

**Disclaimer**: Nope, the characters aren't mine! But, you guys already know that, lol.

**A/N**: Hey, guys! I'm back with another update! I swear, I love summer! Okay, anyway, thank you for your reviews on the last chapter! I'm glad you like it. And yep, Jasper's sorta close to coming back. Keep up the reviews, and you might see him sooner. Lol. But, here's the next chapter! So I don't keep you waiting any longer, let's go!

_Chapter 13- Ring Around the Rosy_

_Alice POV_

_I stood at the edge of a high cliff, starting at the rough waves far below. I could feel my toes inching me closer to the drop, and even though my mind was strongly protesting, I felt my body fall over the edge of the cliff._

_I was falling and falling fast. A scream ripped from my throat when I realized too late what was happening, and I hit the water, the blackness of the waves surrounding me. I was tossed roughly in different directions, my body being twisted in many unnatural ways as I completely lost my sense of direction. I couldn't find where the surface was. I couldn't breathe. I was going to die…_

_Suddenly, a pair of cold hands grabbed my arms, and I was pulled out of the rough water and laid out on the sand. I coughed out some of the water that had gotten into my mouth as I slowly opened my eyes, feeling very disoriented. Then, I sat up, wincing at the pain I felt in my head as I cautiously looked up at the high cliff I had just jumped off of. Why had I even done that?_

_Then, I heard movement in the sand behind me, and I turned to look over my shoulder. My eyes widened in fear at who I saw smirking back at me._

_It was Victoria._

* * *

"Alice? Alice!"

I took a deep breath as my vision cleared, and I was surprised to see that my English teacher was standing in front of my desk. Her arms were crossed, and she was looking down at me with speculation.

"Welcome back to the class, Miss Brandon."

"Oh… um…" I was very embarrassed now. I had never had a vision in the middle of a class before, and zoning out in English was never a good thing. I glanced around at the rest of the students, seeing that Angela and Mike were looking at me with surprise and concern and Lauren was just smirking at me. "I'm sorry, Mrs. White…"

"Alice, what is the matter with you?" Mrs. White asked with a sigh. "You haven't been yourself these past two days. Did you get enough sleep last night?"

"Yes." Surprisingly, I had slept very peacefully last night without waking up once, though I wasn't quite sure why. "I slept well."

Mrs. White looked down at me for a long moment. "Please step out in the hallway with me for a minute, Alice."

I sighed as I closed my copy of Wuthering Heights and grabbed my backpack from the floor, putting it over my shoulder as I followed my teacher toward the door. I could hear the rest of the class muttering to themselves, but I tried to ignore them. I never got in trouble, which was probably why they were confused about this…

Mrs. White held the door open for me, shutting it again once I was out in the hall with her. "All right, Alice," she muttered. "What's going on?"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Alice, don't play games with me," Mrs. White said with a sigh. "I can tell just by looking at you that something's wrong. What's happened to the bright, cheerful girl that was in my class first semester? I've noticed a change in you since winter break, but now, it seems to be even worse."

What was I going to tell her? My vampire boyfriend left me behind and now it's possible he's going to die by the hand of another sadistic vampire? Somehow, I didn't think that excuse would appease her… "There's just a lot on my mind right now," I finally settled on telling her.

Mrs. White looked concerned. "Is there something you want to tell me about?" she asked. "There's only one month until graduation, Alice, and I want to see you walk across that stage."

It was a tempting offer to talk to her about all of my problems, but I slowly shook my head. As much as I liked Mrs. White, I didn't want to tell her about my visions. "Thank you, but no thank you," I answered quietly. "This is something I have to work out on my own."

"Well, all right…" Mrs. White placed her hand gently on my shoulder. "You know that I'm here if you ever want to talk, don't you?"

I nodded. "Yes, I do. Thank you."

Mrs. White sighed. "Good. Let's get back to class then." She placed her hand on my back then as she opened the door, gesturing for me to go inside first. I entered the classroom, ignoring everyone's curious stares as I went back to my seat and Mrs. White when to the front of the room to start talking about our assigned reading.

Unfortunately, our first topic of discussion was the strong relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff since they were friends when they were young and then lovers when they were older. It was a relationship they believed that would last forever, even through all the hardships they faced.

_Forever_. There was that term again. I sighed as I opened my book to a random page and pretended that I was listening to Angela describe their strong bond of love that was there since they had known each other for so long. I was instantly reminded of Jasper. He had found me in the forest when I was five years old, freezing to death. And from that point on, we had been connected. He was a close friend of mine that only I knew, one that I shared my visions with though he had been my first, one that saved me from the torture at the hospital, one that I made snow angels with…

And now that I was older, we viewed each other in a new way. I may have loved him all of those years ago, but that love changed from just a playmate to a soul mate. Jasper had been my life, my everything. What did I have now that he was gone? I sadly remembered when I had first met him after years of being apart, when he had saved me from being hit by Tyler's truck in the school parking lot, when we shared our first kiss at the camp in Montana, when we had gone to the dance on the last night of the camp, when we had a snowball fight with his family, and finally, when he left me behind him in the same spot where he had first found me.

"Happily ever after" didn't exist here.

Catherine may have found her soul mate forever, but I knew that I, Alice, wouldn't.

* * *

TGIF- Thank God It's Friday.

I pulled into my driveway after school finally got out, shutting off my Porsche before climbing out with my backpack and going into the house. Judging by a note that was left by my grandmother, she was out running errands but would be home before dinner. Good. That meant that I had about an hour before I was asked how my awful day went.

I immediately went up to my room and shut the door behind me, sitting down on my bed beside Mina as I began to scratch behind her ears. I was supposed to read the next three chapters of Wuthering Heights for homework, but I was going to put it off for as long as I could. I had already read it before anyway.

Strangely, though, I found that I was feeling much stronger than I had been before, even though I had been bombarded by painful memories in English class. After the major breakdown I had last night, I felt as though I was beginning to pull myself together for the first time after Jasper had left- maybe it would be enough to keep him out of danger. That was the most I could hope for.

Then, I looked up when there was a knock on my window, and I saw a smiling Jacob waving back at me. Mina hissed and jumped to the floor to get away from the window, sticking close to the bed. For some reason, this action made me start laughing. Okay. Either I was starting to get stronger or I was going crazy. I wasn't sure which. Both were entirely possible.

Knowing that I should probably let Jacob in, I climbed off the bed and opened the window. "Can't you use the door like normal people?" I asked with a smile of my own.

"Nah, what's the fun in that?" Jacob replied as he jumped into my room, and I shut the window behind him. "But this is the first time I've seen you really laugh in a while. Did you have a good day or something?"

"No, not really," I told him as I sat on my bed again.

Jacob sat on my bed next to me, confusion clearly etched on his face. "You didn't?"

I shook my head and pointed to the book that was lying on the small table next to my bed. Jacob reached over and grabbed it, glancing at the title before flipping through it. "Interesting choice to read for a class," he muttered as he set Wuthering Heights back down. "Do you not like it or something?"

"No, I like it," I replied, to which Jacob was even more confused. "I've read it before. It just reminds me of… Never mind. So, what's up, Jake?" I figured I'd change the subject before I started swaying into my depression stage again.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come back to the reservation with me," Jacob said, shaking away his confusion. "I finally have your birthday present done, and since it's so late, I figured it would be a good time to give it you."

I had almost forgotten that he had to give me his gift yet. "Sure," I told him. "That would be great. I need to relax after my long, trying day of school."

Jacob smiled. "Awesome. I waited until today since it's not a school night," he replied. "You'll probably be there for a while since everyone wants to see you."

"It's all right, Jake." I gave him a smile. "Let me just write a note for my grandmother so she doesn't freak out."

"I'll be waiting outside."

"Okay." I left my room and hurried down the stairs to the kitchen, where I wrote a note to my grandmother to tell her where I was going. Then, I pulled on my favorite black hoodie that I had grabbed from my room as I walked toward the front door, but I froze when I heard a quiet sound. It sounded like my keyboard being played…

I went into the living room where it was kept, and I gasped when I saw someone sitting in front of it playing a beautiful tune that I recognized.

"Ed…"

The music instantly stopped as Edward turned to look at me. I stared into his golden eyes for a long moment as he stared back into my dark ones, but then, I had to blink. It was an action I dreaded to do since I was afraid he would disappear if I did. And when I opened my eyes again, I saw with disappointment that I was right. Edward was gone.

Then, I looked over my shoulder when I heard footsteps behind me, and I watched as Jacob entered through the front door. "Ready to go, Ali?"

"Yeah…" I glanced back at the keyboard for a moment, seeing that there was no evidence that it had been on at all. Sighing since I still wasn't sure if Edward had been there at all, I slowly followed Jacob outside, locked the door, and went to my car. I climbed behind the wheel while Jacob got in the passenger seat, curious as to what this birthday gift was.

The drive to the reservation was silent until we actually got there when Jacob had to direct me to his house. I pulled into his driveway and shut off the car, and we both climbed out and met in front of my Porsche. Like Sam's house, Jacob's seemed to be comfortable and "homey," just a little smaller.

"All right. Your gift's in the garage behind the house," Jacob told me with a broad smile. "Com eon."

I followed Jacob around his house, awed by the spacious backyard. He pointed out the so-called garage toward the back of it, and I noticed that it was more of a shed than a garage. It was pretty small…

We reached the structure in a short period of time, and in the sunlight filtering in through the gaps in the aging wooden planks, I saw that there was something in the middle covered by a faded, patched, red blanket beside his motorcycle.

"I'm sorry it took so long to finish," Jacob muttered as he approached the object while I hung back by the doorway. "I had to do a lot of work on it…"

"That's all right, Jake." I looked at the blanket, wondering what he had put so much effort into.

Jacob looked up at me. "You're going to have to come closer if you want to see what it is, Ali," he said with a laugh.

I laughed a little myself as I walked over to stand next to him. "All right, Jake. I give. What is it?"

"Watch and you'll see." Jacob's smile broadened as he quickly removed the blanked. "Voila!"

My eyes widened when I saw what was beneath the blanket. It was a motorcycle that was a beautiful black color and still had that special shine. It almost looked brand new. "Jake… what…"

"The engine wouldn't even run when I bought this cheap thing," Jacob explained to me. "But after fixing that up and buying some new parts for the exterior, it runs great. Oh, and uh…" He pulled out a white flower from behind his back with a key, I assumed to be for the motorcycle, tied to the stem. "Happy birthday, Ali."

I was still in shock as I absently took the flower and key from him. "Jake… Oh, my God, this is incredible! Thank you so much!" I then hugged him tightly, and he laughed as he hugged me back.

"You're welcome, Ali."

"One thing, though," I muttered as I pulled away from him. "How am I going to get this home?"

"I can ride it back to your house," Jacob told me. "It will be easy enough for me to run back here."

"All right, if you insist…" Did he have everything planned out already? "Helmet?"

Jacob smiled, realizing that I was trying to stump him. "See that backpack right there?" he asked, pointing to it on the other side of the bike. I nodded. "Your helmet is in there, along with your own leather jacket."

I shook my head as a smile spread across my face. He was good. "I don't know how I'm going to ever thank you for this, Jake."

"You don't have to, Ali," Jacob told me sincerely. "It's your birthday present."

Sighing, I looked up at him, and he looked back down at me. We stared at each other for a long moment, but before we could say anything more, footsteps quickly approached, and I watched as Sam appeared in the garage entrance in his swimming trunks with a surfboard under his arm.

"Hey, I heard you guys were out here. Embry, Quil, and I are heading to the beach. Do you want to come along?" he asked.

"Sure," Jacob answered, and I placed the flower gently on the motorcycle seat so it would be safe and I wouldn't have to bring it with me. "What you ya' say, Ali?"

"Sounds fun," I agreed with a smile. I liked the beach.

Sam returned it. "Great. We'll just walk since it's not too far from here. I hope you don't mind."

I shook my head. "Not at all."

Sam was right- the beach was only about a seven-block walk from Jacob's house. Plus, it was a beautiful day, so I really didn't mind walking. A little cloudy, but still very nice. When we got to the beach, I saw that Embry and Quil were already there waiting for us. Embry was holding a surfboard also, and he and Sam ran out to the water to catch some waves. Quil, on the other hand, didn't have a swimsuit, and instead, he was sitting on the sand making sand castles with a young girl.

"Who is she?" I wondered. I had never seen her before.

"That's Claire," Jacob told me. "Quil imprinted on her when she was just an infant four years ago. They're like siblings now, but that could easily change when they get older."

"Oh." I remembered that girl now. Jasper had told me about her at the camp last year when he was explaining to me what imprinting was.

Jacob looked over at me. "Do you want to go say hi?"

I looked back at him. "Sure." It would be good to see Quil again, anyway.

"Let's go, then." Jacob led me across the beach to where they were sitting, and Quil looked up at us and smiled when we approached while Claire just looked up at me warily through wide, dark eyes.

"Hey, Jake. Alice," he greeted.

"Hey, Quil," Jacob replied while he knelt down in the sad across from Claire. I hurriedly did the same. "Claire, I want you to meet our good friend, Alice."

"Nice to meet you, Claire," I said to the four-year-old, extending my hand out to her. Claire looked at it for a long moment before she slowly reached out her smaller hand and shook mine.

Quil smiled. "Good to see you guys. Hey, do you want to make sand castles with us?"

"Sure," I told him as I began to push sand together in order to make a castle. Jacob began to do the same, helping to make the start of my castle bigger. Claire and I started to get along better through this activity, especially when I gave her some seashells I found to add some decoration to her castle. The four of us continued to do this until some more kids from the reservation showed up that were friends of Claire, and she ran to go play with them, Quil watching her carefully.

"Well, that was fun," Jacob said with a smile. "Thanks for letting us join you, Quil."

"Not a problem," Quil replied. "Claire seems to really like Alice. But now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go keep my eye on her…"

"Bye, Quil." I watched him run off after the four-year-old, surprised when Jacob suddenly took my hand and helped me to my feet. "Oh, thanks. But wow, he won't let her out of his sight, will he?"

"No, he won't," Jacob confirmed as we walked over to some rocks at the edge of the beach and sat on them. "He really does love her."

I smiled from the rock I sat on beside Jacob, watching as Claire played on the sand and in the crashing waves on the beach, Quil staying very close to her while she ran and laughed with the other kids. "She sure is adorable," I commented quietly, laughing a little when she splashed the friend closest to her. "Quil is taking great care of her."

"He sure is," Jacob agreed with a smile of his own. "It will be interesting to see where their relationship goes in a few years. We'll see if it's a repeat of Sam and Emily."

"We'll see…" My smile broadened as I watched Claire and the rest of the children join hands and form a circle, beginning to move as they chanted the childhood rhyme.

"Ring around the rosy…"

Suddenly, my eyes widened as I gasped, my vision starting to leave me as a quick image entered my mind.

_Jasper was being held tightly by three vampires, one of them tearing into his shoulder with his teeth before he was thrown roughly at Victoria's feet…_

I knew what was happening…

Jacob immediately looked over at me with concern. "Ali?" he asked quietly.

"…pockets full of posy…"

My breath caught in my chest when the next flicker came, my eyes staring blankly out at the rough ocean waves as tears started to form in them.

_Victoria knelt down on the hard floor in front of Jasper, smirking triumphantly as she roughly tilted his head up to look into his weary, pain-filled eyes…_

This couldn't be happening… not to Jasper…

"Ali?" Jacob's voice was a little louder, a little more urgent, this time as he placed his hot hand on top of mine, but he was also a little harder for me to hear now.

"…ashes, ashes…"

"No! Jasper!" I suddenly screamed, stumbling off the rock I was sitting on and falling to the sand when I saw the next image.

_Victoria quickly lunged forward, her teeth digging into Jasper's throat. There was a loud tearing sound before he even had the chance to scream…_

This was really going to happen… and I could do nothing to prevent it…

"Alice!" Jacob shouted with worry, dropping down in the sand on his knees beside me. He grabbed my shoulders and turned me onto my back as he began to shake me anxiously, but I didn't respond to him. I instead began to cry as my head lolled limply on the soft ground. "Help! Somebody help!"

"…we all fall down."

Quil was suddenly beside me next to Jacob, lightly tapping my face in hopes to get my attention. Sam was at my other side shortly after, his surfboard under his arm, with Embry close behind him. He immediately set his surfboard down and leaned over me, some water dripping off his long hair and falling onto my face to mingle with my tears.

"Alice," Sam muttered with worry, placing his hands on my arms as he shook me gently. "Alice!"

But even though they were all there, I hardly noticed them. I could see my four friends, but it was difficult- almost as though I was looking at them through an opaque screen. I was absolutely sobbing now as even that little sight I had left me and was replaced with a much clearer final image I knew had to be coming.

_There was a loud tearing sound, and Jasper limply hit the hard floor. A fire was started, and his body was consume by the flames…_

No… I couldn't let this happen… not to Jasper…

"_Jasper!_" I cried, finally coming out of my visions as my sobs continued. I clearly saw Jacob, Quil, Embry, and Sam's anxious expressions above me, but I ignored them and quickly turned to look back at the shoreline. Claire and her friends were laughing from where they lay on the sand, begin teasingly splashed by the waves.

But I had seen something much darker…

"Alice, are you okay?" Jacob asked anxiously, turning my face back to him. He had used my real name, but I hardly took notice of it as tears continued to fall from my eyes. Then, Sam gently lifted me into his a sitting position, wrapping his arm around my back to support me. "Alice?"

"…Jasper…" I whispered as my sobs finally stopped. But before I could say anything more so they could try to help him, my eyes closed as my head landed limply on Sam's damp shoulder, the darkness quickly taking me.

**A/N**: It's not really looking good, is it? Let's hope that both Jasper and Alice will be safe… But, there's still a lot of this story to go, so anything can happen. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Your reviews are much appreciated. Enjoy the preview!

**Next Chapter**: _I Hate Everything About You_

"Are you going to kill me too?" I asked in a whisper, my voice shaking because of my tears.

Victoria knelt in front of me, placing her cold fingers beneath my chin and gently tilting my head up to face her.

Xxx

_"Is everything all right, Sam?" I asked._

_"Yeah, everything's fine," Sam answered, though I could definitely see that there was something else on his mind. "Um, I hate to be rude, but I have to get back to my house. Emily called. She just got back from the doctor."_

Xxx

_"Emily, are you all right?" Sam asked anxiously, taking her hand in his. I held my breath, afraid of the answer._

_"Sam, you should sit down," Emily answered as she slowly sat up and gestured to the spot next to her._

Xxx

"_So, I assume that you were having a… a _vision_ or something about Jasper at the beach by the way you were screaming his name," Jacob muttered._

_I sighed as I nodded. "He's in danger."_


	19. Chapter 14: I Hate Everything About You

**Disclaimer**: Nope, the characters aren't mine. They belong to Stephenie Meyer. The song, "I Hate Everything About You" belongs to Three Days Grace.

**A/N**: Hey! Thanks for your reviews! They really mean a lot. I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter, though it was a little morbid. But, hey. That's what happens when you write late at night since you have nothing else to do… Oh, speaking of which, I have a job interview on Saturday, so wish me luck! So, what's wrong with Emily? You're going to find out…

_Chapter 14- I Hate Everything About You_

_I was kneeling on the hard floor, sobbing as I watched the flames consume Jasper's body, watching as my life was taken from me right before my eyes. Victoria smirked as she walked around the fire she had started, coming to a stop before me._

"_Are you going to kill me too?" I asked in a whisper, my voice shaking because of my tears._

_Victoria knelt in front of me, placing her cold fingers beneath my chin and gently tilting my head up to face her. "I would, Alice, I would," she answered softly, her crimson eyes shining cruelly. "But death would be kind now, and I can't afford to be kind. You're going to suffer as I suffered. That is the worst punishment, to live without your mate for the rest of your miserable existence."_

_I stared up at her in horror, curling in on myself once she shoved my face back down and she left me. No… why couldn't I have saved him?_

_Jasper… I'm so sorry…_

* * *

So, Victoria had made up her mind. Jasper would be the one to die. She was going to take Jasper, my very life, from me, killing my other half. She was going to make me suffer as she had suffered when she lost James…

But the future could always be changed. I knew that from that point on, I was determined not to let that happen to Jasper, no matter what it took.

I gasped as I quickly opened my eyes and looked anxiously around me, seeing that I was lying in a bed with comfortable sheets. The room was pretty plain, filled only by a few potted plants around on the floor and a wooden desk across from me. Wondering where I was since I didn't recognize it and I was unsettled after that dream, I slowly sat up, wincing when a sharp pain stabbed at my head. Damn. Those visions had taken a lot out of me…

"It's all right, Ali. You're safe."

Not expecting the sudden but gentle voice, I gasped as I looked to my left, and I smiled when I saw Jacob sitting in a chair beside the bed. "Jake, where am I?"

Jacob gave me a slight smile, and he got up from the chair to sit on the bed beside me. "You're in my house in a spare bedroom that we hardly ever use," he told me. "You've been out for a couple hours."

A couple hours? I had not been expecting that…

"Ali, what happened down by the beach?" Jacob then asked hesitantly. "You were acting very strange. It was almost like you were having some sort of fit or something. You were crying, it was like you couldn't see us, and you were looking at something else entirely. You were screaming Jasper's name…" I could detect the slight hurt in his voice as it faltered a little saying his name. "We were all really worried about you."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," I answered in a mutter. "But as I told you before, I have these-!"

"Don't tell me that this was one of your so-called fainting spells," Jacob interrupted me, staring into my eyes with worry. "I know that's not what it was."

I sighed and looked back at him for a long moment, but before I could say anything, the door to the room opened. "Hey, you're awake," Sam said with a smile as he sat down in the chair that Jacob had once occupied. "That's good. Embry, will you go back to the beach and tell Quil?" He glanced behind him at the doorway, and I was startled to see that Embry was watching us carefully. Sam gave him a nod, and he returned it before disappearing from the door.

Though he seemed genuinely relieved, I could also tell that Sam seemed very detached, almost as though his mind was on something else… "Is everything okay, Sam?" I asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Sam answered, though I could definitely see that there was something else on his mind. "Um, I hate to be rude, but I have to get back to my house. Emily called. She just got back from the doctor."

"The doctor? I something wrong?" I hoped not. I loved Emily…

Sam sighed as he slightly shook his head. "I don't know. She didn't say."

Jacob also sighed. "I'm sure she's fine, Sam," he tried to assure him. "I mean, I'm sure she would have told you if there was something seriously wrong."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" At least to me, Sam still didn't seem to be too assured.

There was a tense silence that hung over the three of us, and after a moment, I looked up at my older friend. "Do you want a ride there, Sam?" I offered, knowing that he wanted to get to his wife as soon as possible. "It's not too far."

Sam looked back up at me, seeming to be surprised by my offer. But his worry for Emily was also evident. "Alice, you just woke up. I couldn't ask you to do that."

"It's no big deal." I slowly got to my feet, with a little help from Jacob for balance, and gave Sam a smile. "There. See?"

"Well… if you're sure you don't mind…" It was easy to see that Sam was having an inner debate with himself. He was hesitant to have me drive him over to his house, but at the same time, he wanted to be with Emily more than anything.

"Of course I don't mind, Sam," I told him. "I want to make sure she's okay too. Come on, Jake."

"Thank you, Alice," Sam said with a sigh of relief as he followed Jacob and I out of the spare room. "This really means a lot to me."

I turned to give him a smile as the three of us left the house. The clouds had disappeared when I had been unconscious, and the sun, though it was now setting, was shining down on us. "You're welcome," I replied as I climbed in behind the wheel, Sam sitting in the seat next to me and Jacob right behind. "I swear, this isn't a big deal."

Sam simply smiled at me before he turned to look out the window, and I inwardly sighed as I backed out of the driveway. I hoped that Emily was all right. I would have looked into the future to see what she was going to tell Sam once we got the house, but I didn't because one, I was driving and two, I was afraid of what I might see. I didn't want to lose anyone else that I cared about…

The rest of our drive was silent, and we were at Sam's house in about ten minutes because I took some wrong turns and got lost. I pulled into the driveway so I could get Sam as close to the house as possible though I still felt uncomfortable doing so. But I knew that Emily came first. He was out of the car and running toward the door even before I had the chance to turn it off. I exchanged a worried look with Jacob, and after I locked up the car, we ran after him.

We entered the house as we heard Sam calling out for Emily, and we found them both in the living room where she was lying on the couch and he was kneeling on the floor beside her. Jacob and I stopped in the doorway, unsure if we should go any farther. If something was wrong, Sam should be the one with her.

"Emily, are you all right?" Sam asked anxiously, taking her hand in his. I held my breath, afraid of the answer.

"Sam, you should sit down," Emily answered as she slowly sat up and gestured to the spot next to her.

After a long moment, Sam slowly got up and sat down beside her, immediately taking both of her hands in his. I have never seen him look so unsure, so worried, before… "Emily, what's going on?" he muttered.

Emily raised her gaze to meet his anxious eyes as she tightened her hands around his. "Sam, I… I'm pregnant."

I instantly let out the breath that I had been holding, feeling incredibly relieved as I leaned into Jacob as he put his arm around me. This was such a good thing. I had been so afraid that something was terribly wrong with Emily that hearing she was pregnant was truly a miracle. But why was she looking so hesitant?

Sam stared at his wife in shock, glancing briefly down at her stomach before moving back to her eyes. "Emily, that's… that's wonderful," he said with a smile and relieved laugh. I knew that he had been more afraid for her than I was, so this was truly a relief. But then, his eyes narrowed slightly in concern when he saw that she wasn't smiling also. In fact, she almost looked… sad. "What's wrong, Emily?"

"Can we afford to keep this child, Sam?" Emily whispered, pulling one of her hands out of his and placing it lightly on her stomach.

Sighing, Sam placed his hand over the hand she had put on her stomach and held it tightly. "We will do whatever we must to make sure _our_ child is provided for and taken care of," he told her, and I detected the emphasis on the word "our." "This is a blessing, Emily, not a curse." He then raised his other hand and gently wiped away a few tears that had fallen from her eyes.

"The pack never abandons its members, Sam," Jacob added from where we stood in the doorway. It was at that moment I realized I was still leaning into his side, and I immediately pulled away from him. That had been awkward…

Sam glanced over at us while Emily gave us a grateful smile before she turned back to her husband. "I just want our child to have a good life, Sam," she whispered, some more tears leaking from her eyes.

"They will, Emily," Sam muttered, kissing her forehead lightly before pulling her into his secure arms. "I promise you, they will."

I felt a smile appear on my face as I watched Sam comfort Emily. Despite her hesitance, I knew they would make wonderful parents.

But then, I was brought out of my thoughts by a hot hand landing on my shoulder, and I looked up at Jacob. "Can I talk to you for a minute, Ali?" he asked quietly.

"Sure," I answered, glancing back at the couple. "We should probably head out anyway…"

"Yeah. Come on. Let's head out to the cliffs."

I followed Jacob as we headed back toward the front door, glancing back at Sam and Emily before we went outside. I had the suspicion that they wouldn't even notice that we were gone. Once we were both back in my Porsche, I drove out to where I had gone with Jacob and watched him and the wolves go cliff diving, seeing that the sunset was beautiful here. I shut the car off and climbed out, walking close to the edge with Jacob before turning to face him.

"What did you want to talk about, Jake?" I wondered.

Jacob sighed, looking down at the ground before meeting my gaze. "Are you going to tell me what happened down at the beach?"

I sighed. "Jake…"

"Ali, please," Jacob interrupted me, suddenly taking my hands in his. I looked down at them in shock. "I don't know what happened, but I know it wasn't normal."

"You're going to think I'm crazy," I muttered with a slight laugh.

"No. No, I won't," Jacob assured me softly. "Ali, you can tell me."

Could I tell him my deepest secret? I looked back up at Jacob for a long moment, wondering how I could phrase this without sounding like I belonged in an asylum. "I… I can _see_ things…" I muttered hesitantly. "Before they actually happen…"

Jacob looked down at me with shock, trying to process what I just said, I'm sure. "So, what, you can like see the future?"

"Yes," I told him nervously. "Based on what people decide."

"So, I assume that you were having a… a _vision_ or something about Jasper at the beach by the way you were screaming his name," Jacob muttered.

I sighed as I nodded. "He's in danger."

Though I knew Jacob didn't approve of Jasper for me, he appeared to be at least slightly concerned, probably because I was starting to get visibly upset. "In danger of what?" he asked quietly.

Tears formed in my eyes at his question, but I quickly blinked them away. "Do you remember that vampire who was following me at the camp last year who tried to kill me?" Jacob nodded angrily at the memory. "Well, his mate, Victoria, is furious at Jasper for killing him. She's after me, but I guess instead of taking my life, she's going to kill Jasper to get to me. I can't let that happen, Jake…"

Jacob appeared to be angrier about the fact that Victoria was after me than what she was planning on doing to Jasper, and he tightened his hands around mine. "So, did you know that Emily was pregnant before we went to Sam's house?"

"No," I told him, not surprised that he changed the topic from Jasper. "I was afraid of what I would see if I did."

"Can you see into my future?"

I sighed. "I… I've never tried, Jake…"

"Then try now," Jacob muttered. He must have made a decision that he wanted me to see.

"All right." I looked up into Jacob's eyes, focusing on trying to see what he wanted me to. My eyes went blank, but then I hissed with surprise and closed my eyes when I felt a slight pain in my head.

"Ali?" Jacob was worried. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I assured him as I slowly opened my eyes again. "I couldn't see anything, and there was this pain…"

Jacob's eyes narrowed with concern and confusion. "Strange. I made a decision," he murmured.

"What decision was that?" I asked. It was frustrating that I couldn't seem to see anything around Jacob…

He didn't answer me. Instead, Jacob looked into my eyes for a long moment as he released my hands. Then he slowly leaned down, and before I knew it, his hot lips were pressed gently against mine.

Without even thinking about it, I returned the action as I placed my hands on Jacob's shoulders and he lowered his hands to my waist, and I moved closer to him.

But then, I realized what I was doing, and I broke the kiss as I pulled away from him. "No, stop. I shouldn't do that…" Not when my heart still belonged fully to Jasper.

Jacob looked back at me, crossing his arms as he sighed. "Ali, he's not coming back," he told me heavily, seeming to realize where my hesitance derived from. "I knew he would hurt you…"

I looked up at him, feeling so many conflicting emotions inside of me at once I didn't know which one to act upon. First, of course, there was anger- at Jacob for kissing me, at myself for kissing Jacob along with guilt, and at Jasper for leaving me when he still loved me, though that one was beginning to diminish. Then, I also felt a certain longing for Jasper, a desperate hope that he really would come back to me one day. But at the same time, I hoped he stayed wherever he was now so that he would be safe from Victoria, which went along with the nagging fear that she would somehow still get to him. That made me feel helpless that I couldn't do anything to save him, and I knew how guilty I would feel if that happened. It was very overwhelming.

"I… I should go, Jake," I muttered, taking a couple of steps back away from him.

Jacob sighed again as he glanced down at the ground before meeting my gaze again. "All right," he said. "I'll drop your bike off sometime this week."

"Okay. Thanks." I nodded to him as I turned and started to walk back to my car. I climbed in behind the wheel and put on my seatbelt before Jacob could say anything more to me, turning up the radio when I heard one of my favorite songs as I put the car in gear and drove away from the cliff.

_"I hate everything about you_

_Why do I love you?"_

Yes, Jasper. I was both hurt and confused about why you left me, angry because I knew you left even though you still loved me. And as much as I try to tell myself otherwise, I still love you, and that will never change.

I glanced in my rear-view mirror, sighing with relief when I saw that Jacob was now out of sight. Why had I kissed him? It didn't make any sense to me… He was a good friend, but I didn't feel for him like I did for Jasper. I took one hand off the wheel and rubbed my lips since I could still somewhat feel the heat from when Jacob's had been there. That hadn't been right. I must not have been thinking clearly…

Jasper was the one I wanted, and I knew that I would always wait for him, even if it took me forever.

**A/N**: Sorry that chapter was a little shorter. It was more of a bridge that connects "New Moon" to "Eclipse," and you'll be seeing a lot more an "Eclipse" feel from here on out. I hope you enjoyed it anyway! The next one should be longer. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you, and enjoy the preview!

**Next Chapter**: _Sleepless in Seattle_

(Jasper)_ But could I really blame Alice for kissing him? I sighed to myself, knowing that I couldn't since I hadn't been there for her for four months. It didn't come as a surprise to me that other men had caught her attention, but it didn't make its impact any less painful._

Xxx

(Alice) _"Hi, Jess," I said with a slight smile as I hung up the towel. "What's up?" _

_"_I was wondering if you wanted to go to Seattle with Angela and I this weekend_," Jessica told me._

_"Like for the whole weekend?"_

Xxx

_Then, I went to my closet to grab my favorite black hoodie, but I froze with confusion when I saw that it wasn't in its usual spot. I dug through the rest of my closet before searching the rest of my room, not able to find it anywhere._

Xxx

_Charlie looked at me skeptically before he sighed and began to look through the rest of the pictures. "There have also been some strange murders in places surrounding Forks, such as Port Angeles and Seattle."_


	20. Chapter 15: Sleepless in Seattle

**Disclaimer**: Nope, not mine!

**A/N**: Hey! Thanks for all the reviews! I love all of them! They are greatly appreciated. So, as I mentioned, this one starts swaying more into "Eclipse" than "New Moon," so will Jasper be back soon? Possibly. You'll have to read to find out! Enjoy!

_Chapter 15- Sleepless in Seattle_

_Jasper POV_

I tensed angrily from the tree I was crouched in as Jacob kissed Alice. How dare he touch her! If I wasn't sneaking on their side of the treaty line, I would have leapt down and torn him limb from limb without as much as a second thought.

But could I really blame Alice for kissing him? I sighed to myself, knowing that I couldn't since I hadn't been there for her for four months. It didn't come as a surprise to me that other men had caught her attention, but it didn't make its impact any less painful.

Then, I watched as Alice backed away from him. "No, stop. I shouldn't do that…"

"Ali, he's not coming back. I knew he would hurt you…"

I growled angrily at these words. Though I knew it would, my intention was not to hurt Alice when I left since I just wanted to protect her. Now that I saw she was in more danger now that I wasn't there, I would be coming back _much_ sooner than he expected.

The violent flow of emotions I got from Alice then was overwhelming, and I had to tighten my grip on the branch beneath me to keep from falling off because of the force. First and foremost, there was anger. This was followed shortly by guilt, and then longing- a strong hope for something. Finally, there was helplessness. The emotions were so conflicting that I could not read them clearly, though I could usually read Alice easily. This unsettled me greatly.

"I… I should go, Jake."

"All right. I'll drop your bike off sometime this week."

"Okay. Thanks."

I smiled as I watched Alice walk away from Jacob and to her car, driving away from the cliff. I looked at Jacob for another moment before I began to follow her by jumping from tree to tree. Though I still had to talk to my family, I knew I would only have to stay away from Alice for a little while longer, and I wouldn't have to sneak around to keep an eye on her anymore. Soon, I would fully be able to protect her from Victoria.

* * *

_Alice POV_

The week passed by quickly. Jacob kept true to his word and dropped off my motorcycle in about the middle of the week, which my grandmother still wasn't too sure about. Meanwhile, I still had to suffer through discussing Wuthering Heights in English and deal with Lauren's constant talking about Jasper whenever I was around during school. It was a miracle I made it to Friday.

When I was washing dishes after having dinner with my grandmother on Friday, though, my cell phone rang. I quickly dried my hands and took it out of my pocket, flipping it open and bringing it to my ear. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Alice!_"

"Hi, Jess," I said with a slight smile as I hung up the towel. "What's up?"

"_I was wondering if you wanted to go to Seattle with Angela and I this weekend,_" Jessica told me.

"Like for the whole weekend?" I asked as I pulled up a chair to the counter so I could stand on it to put the dishes away in the higher cupboards.

"_Yeah,_" Jessica answered. "_My mom rented a hotel there. Mike wanted to come, but he had other things to do this weekend. So, how about it?_"

I laughed a little. Spending the weekend away from home sounded amazing. "What are you going to Seattle for?" I wondered.

"_Graduation celebration,_" Jessica explained. "_I know it's early, but this is the only weekend that will work for my mom. Plus, it'll be a weekend away from everything._"

That's exactly what I needed. "Sounds great, Jess, but is there a cost involved?"

"_No. My mom already has it covered. She got like this cheap package deal thing since she's renting her own room and then one for us. I would just bring some money along for like shopping and stuff._"

I looked behind me when I heard my grandmother enter the kitchen, and I lowered my phone slightly. "Grandma, can I go with Jessica and Angela to Seattle for the weekend?" I asked.

My grandmother looked surprised. "Will there be an adult there?"

"Jessica's mom," I told her.

"Is there a cost involved?"

"No, Jessica's mom got a package deal. It's already covered."

My grandmother smiled. "Then I don't see why not," she told me. "A weekend away will do wonders for you, dear."

I smiled in response as I mouthed the word "thanks" to her before I turned back to my phone conversation. "All right, Jess. I can go!"

"_Great! How much time do you need to pack?_"

"Not long," I replied. "I take it we're leaving tonight then."

"_Yeah. Sorry it's such short notice,_" Jessica said. "_Would seven be all right?_"

I glanced at the clock. That would give me two hours to pack- plenty of time. "That's all right. Seven will be fine." My grandmother confirmed it with a nod. "I'll see you then."

"_Okay, Alice. See you soon. Bye._"

"Bye, Jess." I flipped my phone closed and put it in my pocket as I hopped down from the chair. My grandmother smiled as I approached her.

"Oh, I'm so glad she called," she said as she hugged me. "You're going to have so much fun this weekend, Alice."

"I hope so," I replied. Fun was what I definitely needed now. "I'd better go pack." I stepped around my grandmother and hurried up the stairs to my room, turning on the light and shutting the door. I grabbed one of the bags I had used on the Montana trip the year before and filled it with outfits for the next two days, deodorant, hair styling supplies, other necessities, my pillow, my digital camera, and – I hated to do it but I had the bad feeling I'd need it- my copy of Wuthering Heights. I also threw in my wallet with my birthday money in it since Jessica had mentioned something about shopping.

Then, I went to my closet to grab my favorite black hoodie, but I froze in confusion when I saw that it wasn't in its usual spot. I dug through the rest of my closet before searching the rest of my room, not able to find it anywhere.

"Hmm, that's strange…" I murmured, glancing over at Mina. She lay curled up on my bed, looking innocently up at me with her brilliant green eyes. "Maybe Grandma took it to wash it."

Feeling a bit reassured by this, I went back downstairs to where my grandmother was still in the kitchen. "Grandma, did you take my black hoodie to wash it or something?" I asked.

"No, dear," my grandmother answered as she turned to look at me. "I haven't touched it. Can't you find it?"

I shook my head. "I must have… just misplaced it then. Thanks, Grandma."

"Sure, dear…"

I turned and left the kitchen, sighing as I ran back up the stairs. I knew for sure that I hadn't misplaced my hoodie and I had made sure to put it in its correct spot last night. The fact that it was gone didn't matter to me as much as I didn't know _how_ it had come to be missing. That was what unsettled me.

When I entered my room again, I saw that Mina was now sitting on the floor next to my packed bag, laying her tail on top of it. I laughed a little as I smiled, lying down on my stomach so I could be at her eye-level as I scratched her head. "No, you can't go with me, Mina," I told her, to which she meowed at me. "Be good for Grandma this weekend, all right?"

Another meow.

I laughed again, but then I looked up at my window when I saw the flash of headlights and heard the sound of tires in my driveway. It was much too early for Jessica and Angela to be here yet… I got up and rushed to the window, seeing that there was a squad car below. What were the police doing here? I narrowed my eyes as I watched Charlie Swan, the chief of police himself, step out and walk toward the front door. It must have been important if _he_ was here.

Wondering what was going on, I left my room and rushed down the stairs just as the doorbell rang. I froze at the base of the steps when my grandmother entered the living room and opened the door, revealing a slightly smiling Charlie on the other side. "Yes? How can I help you?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I was actually wondering if I could speak with your granddaughter," Charlie said, looking past her at me as my grandmother turned around.

"Alice, dear. Come speak with Charlie."

I nodded as I nervously approached them, my grandmother placing her hand on my shoulder while Charlie stepped out of the doorway. I smiled at him as I stepped out onto the porch, and my grandmother shut the door behind me. "What's going on, Charlie?" I asked.

"Actually, that was something I was hoping you could help me with," Charlie answered as he pulled some pictures out of his coat pocket. "I have been going door to door, but there hasn't been any luck so far."

"What makes you think that I'm going to be any different?" I wondered innocently. I wasn't aware of any criminal activity in the area, so I wasn't sure if I could be any help.

"Because you and your friends witnessed this same thing before," Charlie told me, and I felt dread flood through me when he handed me the first picture. "You didn't mention it in your statement to me, but you were there. Maybe this will jog your memory."

Oh, crap! I looked down at the picture with horror, seeing that it was of a large wolf with light brown fur. It was Jacob.

"Where was this taken?" I asked quietly as I looked up at Charlie nervously.

"In the woods around Forks," Charlie answered. "Do you know anything about this creature, Alice?"

"No. Not really, anyway," I told him as I shook my head. "I mean, I can't even remember seeing it that night when my friends called you."

Charlie looked at me skeptically before he sighed and began to look through the rest of the pictures. "There have also been some strange murders in places surrounding Forks, such as Port Angeles and Seattle," he continued as he handed me some more. "Do you have any information on this? The two may be connected somehow."

I looked down at the pictures he handed me, inwardly cringing when I saw that they were of dead bodies that had been discovered. Though they all appeared to be very different, I noticed one thing on each of them that almost made my heart stop. They all had crescent-shaped marks somewhere on their body- a vampire bite. I instinctively moved my hand to my neck where the mark still remained from where James had bitten me a year before.

"None of the victims have anything in common," Charlie explained as I continued to flip through the pictures. "They are of different ages, different genders, different social classes. There is no connection to link them together."

Except that they had all been killed by a vampire. Either Victoria was moving around and feeding a _lot_, or there were other vampires besides her in Washington. Then, I gasped when I came to a picture of a man that I knew. It was Royce King.

I gasped quietly when a terrible thought crossed my mind. I remembered Rosalie telling me that Jasper hated Royce for messing with her and then with me? Had Royce crossed a line the last time I saw him? No… Jasper, you wouldn't have done this to him… would you?

"Do you know this man?"

"I've just seen him a couple of times in Port Angeles," I replied, handing the pile of pictures back to Charlie since I couldn't stand to look at any more. "And I'm sorry, I don't know anything about this string of murders. I didn't even know so many people were dying."

"That's because it hasn't hit Forks yet," Charlie muttered as he put the pictures back in his coat. "I can only hope it doesn't. But thank you for your time, Alice. Be more cautious for a while until this killer or loose animal is found. Don't go anywhere alone, especially after dark."

"All right, Charlie. Thanks. I'll be careful." I watched as he went to his car, started it, and pulled out of my driveway and drove out of sight. I sighed as I sat down and leaned back against the door, fighting back the stream of tears that threatened to fall. Royce King was really dead. It was almost hard to believe. But my heart was telling me that Victoria or another "typical" vampire had killed him, not Jasper. Jasper wouldn't have killed Royce out of anger. That wasn't like him.

But then, I found myself laughing out loud. I knew that this weekend trip to Seattle was suddenly going to become a lot more interesting.

* * *

The hotel was amazing.

Jessica, Angela, and I admired the plant and candle-filled lobby while Jessica's mother made the payments, and then the four of us took a glass elevator up to floor three where our rooms were. Jessica's mother's room was 304 while ours was 313. We got our copies of the room keys and said goodbye as we went to our room and entered.

If possible, the room was even better. When Angela turned on the light, we saw that there was a bathroom to our right with water inside that you had to pay for to drink- I took a picture of it since it was so ridiculous. Once we got farther into the room, we saw that there were two beds on one wall with a small table with a phone and a lamp on top between them. There was a medium-sized, flat-screen television across the room, and near the window was a cushioned chair and a wooden desk with a computer on it that had high-speed internet.

This was going to be awesome!

Since it was a little late to be doing things out of the hotel, the three of us bought a lot of snacks from the small store down in the lobby- mostly sweet things so that we were really hyper. Then, we spent a couple hours watching funny videos on the Internet before choosing the music video to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" so we could try to learn the zombie dance. We actually got most of it down before we gave up because we were laughing so hard. After that, we had a mini pillow fight so we wouldn't wake anyone in the rooms around us before wrapping up the night by watching "Charlie's Angels" on the movie channel. We went to sleep at around three since we knew that we were going to have a long day the next day. Jessica and Angela decided to share a bed, so I got the second one to myself.

Unfortunately, we got a call from Jessica's mother at about nine-thirty the next morning to wake us up. We had slept through breakfast, which was all right with us, but she didn't want us to wait too long to start our first day of exploring the city. We each took turns changing and freshening up in the bathroom before we grabbed our money, cameras, and room keys since she wasn't planning on going anywhere and didn't need us taking buses. We were on our way!

Jessica drove us downtown to where most of the major stores and other fun places were. We spent a majority of the day shopping- I bought a lot of tank tops since I didn't have many for the approaching summer and a new pair of sunglasses- ate lunch on the boardwalk, and even saw a scary movie about a cursed hotel after dinner.

Since it was now twilight, we decided to go back to the car where we had left it in a parking lot and drive around to get to places instead of walk. Jessica and Angela had been asked about the wolf-creature and string of murders by Chief Swan also, so they were getting a little anxious about walking around. I wasn't, but that was probably because I knew the truth behind both police investigations when even they didn't.

But as we turned the corner, a small shop caught my eye. It was set farther back from the sidewalk with a stone path leading up to its doors. It was surrounded by a peeling white fence on three sides- except for the entrance- that was covered in ivy, and weeping willow branches draped over the spacious front yard. The building itself appeared somewhat menacing. It was painted a deep blood red and only had one window that had opaque black drapes over it, but you could still see the light shining through. Judging by the sign on the fence, it was a fortune telling parlor that was run by a mystic named Hawthorne. I was willing to bet that she wasn't s real mystic.

"What are you looking at, Alice?" Angela asked.

I jumped a little, almost forgetting that I wasn't alone. "Oh, I was just looking at this building," I answered, for some reason not able to tear my gaze away.

"It seems pretty creepy," Angela muttered, taking a small step closer to me.

Jessica, on the other hand, took a step closer to the fence so she could read the sign better. "A fortune telling parlor, huh? Those are always fun." Then, she suddenly smiled. "It says on here that the first time to get your fortune is free! Come on, guys! Let's go!"

"Wait a minute, Jess," Angela said as Jessica took one step onto the stone path. "Shouldn't we be heading back to the car?"

"Oh, come on, Ang. Where's your sense of fun?" Jessica laughed. "It won't take long."

Angela sighed as she turned to look back at me. "What do you think, Alice?" she whispered. I could tell that she really didn't want to go in.

However, I did. It almost felt as though I was being pulled there. "Jessica's right," I told her, and I heard her shriek with excitement. "It won't take long. Besides, it's free. Come on, Ang." I began to walk toward the stone path after Jessica, noticing that there were lit candles scattered around the front yard. Angela sighed heavily, but she still followed slowly after me.

* * *

_Jasper POV_

"A fortune telling parlor? That's not like Alice."

I smiled slightly as I turned to look behind me at where Edward was standing, and he returned it. But I also had to wonder why Alice would go to one of these fake places. It truly wasn't like her. "Did you rent the two rooms at the hotel?" I asked.

Edward nodded. "Yeah, it's taken care of," he answered.

"Good. At least we can be close to her this weekend." I turned my attention back to the parlor across the street. I noticed that the three girls were already out of sight, and I was about to sneak closer when I froze. There was a familiar presence coming from inside the building, one that I knew very well.

"What is it, Jasper?" Edward wondered quietly. I could feel that he was suddenly very nervous.

But I ignored him as I narrowed my eyes at the building the girls had just entered. "Heather," I whispered to myself, though I knew Edward could still hear me. "What are you doing here?"

**A/N**: Okay, that's it for this one! I hope you liked it! Who's Heather? Who's killing the people in Seattle/Port Angeles? Well, you'll find out soon! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you! Enjoy the preview!

**Next Chapter**: _Hawthorne_

(Alice)_ "Sit down, Alice," Hawthorne muttered as she gestured to the chair. "Though I'm sure that I could look at your palm or have you drink some tea and tell you something like I told your friends, and you would see right through me."_

"_Probably."_

Xxx

(Jasper)_ "That's not all, Jasper." I could feel tremendous worry coming from Heather now. "I didn't want to tell Alice the full magnitude of this so she wouldn't be scared further, but Victoria is raising a newborn army right here in Washington."_

Xxx

(Jasper)_ "But seriously, Jasper. Don't let this one go. She's perfect for you, I can see it. You can't lose her to time's cold grasp. Promise me, Jasper. You deserve happiness."_

Xxx

(Alice) _I made sure the door closed quietly behind me again before walking past the bathroom so I could grab a pair of clothes to change into._

_But when I reached my bed, the towel I was using to dry my hair from the pool dropped from my hand as my eyes widened in shock. _


	21. Chapter 16: Hawthorne

**Disclaimer**: Nope, none of the characters in this story are mine. Except for the new character being introduced here. She's mine.

**A/N**: Hey! Thanks for all of the reviews, guys! I really appreciate them all! I did get the job that I went in for the interview for, so I'm happy about that. Oh, and there's a snake in this chapter. I give credit for its name to my mom and cousin since they found it for me! Love you guys! Thanks to **Homegrl aka Amanda **for her awesomeness in encouragement! You know what I mean! All right, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Thanks, guys!

_Chapter 16- Hawthorne_

_Alice POV_

Jessica was laughing by the time Angela and I approached the wooden door with the ancient-looking black knocker. Angela had been right. This place was creepy, but I still had the feeling that I was being pulled inside. I also noticed that I was the only one who seemed to feel it.

"Are you guys ready?" Jessica asked with excitement.

"I guess so," Angela muttered, still seeming jumpy as she nervously looked around at the dark yard that was only lit by the scattered candles.

"Let's go," I added, feeling much more confident than Angela. I wanted to know what about this place was pulling me in.

Jessica's smile broadened as she used the knocker, and all three of us watched as the door slowly swung inward. "Cool," she whispered before she stepped inside. I went in after her, and Angela slowly followed me.

The place was amazing. It was lit only by many skull candles that hung on the wall, so it was covered in an eerie lighting. The floor was mirror-like, but there was a black tint to it that made everything darker. The walls were the same blood red color as the exterior with some shrunken heads hanging on them, and there were some mats of the same color spread randomly on the floor. There were also some wooden tables around the small room with jars and vials sitting on them. I wandered over to one to see what was inside some of them, and I saw one had small skulls inside that could have been from some kind of animal, one had a few large, hairy tarantulas inside, and some of the vials contained a thick, deep red substance that looked eerily like blood…

Suddenly, I jumped when Angela screamed, and I whirled around to face her across the room from me while Jessica did the same from where she was looking at a shrunken head. "What?" I asked her.

Angela's face was very pale as she took a few stumbling steps back from the corner. "L-look…"

I exchanged a look with Jessica before we both walked over to the corner where Angela was, and we both stopped dead as Jessica screamed when we saw what our friend was looking at.

"What the hell is a snake doing here?!" Jessica shrieked as she grabbed my arm tightly.

"Actually, it's a python," I told her matter-of-factly as I looked down at the large, thick, diamond-patterned serpent where it lay coiled on the ground. It lazily raised its massive head and hissed softly up at us, and I put one arm in front of Jessica and the other in front of Angela as the three of us slowly backed away from it. I wasn't sure what it was doing here, outside of a cage, but I wasn't feeling as nervous about it as my other two friends. It wouldn't hurt us… at least, I hoped it wouldn't.

"You don't have to worry about Mordred. He won't hurt you. He's so lazy, he couldn't catch a mouse that was standing right in front of him."

We gasped as we all turned around, and I saw that there was a woman standing in front of a black curtain that was draped on the wall across from us. She was wearing a black, low-cut dress that fell to the floor with some black bead that hung over her face that were woven into her black, shoulder-length hair. She wore some blood red lipstick and some nail polish of the same color on her long fingernails to complete the look.

But what I noticed most about her was how pale her skin was and that her eyes were a deep crimson color. She was a vampire.

"Mordred?" Jessica repeated with a nervous laugh. "You mean like the evil brother of King Arthur in that one movie?"

The woman, who I assumed was Hawthorne, raised her eyebrow as she approached us. "Yes," she said with a Southern twang to her voice, and I noticed that she was only a couple of inches taller than me and was only breaching Jessica's height. "Like in that one movie. But since you spoke up, dear, would you like to go first? I'm sure you know that the first one is free."

"Sure, I'll go," Jessica replied with a smile, no longer nervous. As the woman started to walk away again, Jessica turned back to us and smiled brightly. "I'll see you guys soon!"

"Bye, Jess." I watched her disappear with Hawthorne behind the black curtain, which was actually the doorway to a second room. Angela and I then stood in the middle of the entrance room so that we weren't standing near any of the weird stuff around or by Mordred, who lay sleepily curled in his corner and didn't even seem to be disturbed by our presence.

We waited for only about ten minutes before Jessica came back out, positively beaming. Hawthorne stood with the curtain pushed aside slightly, and she gestured to Angela before she went back inside the second room. Angela looked at me nervously as I gave her a little push as she slowly walked behind the curtain, and Jessica took her place beside me.

"So, how was it?" I asked, hoping that I sounded more interested than I felt. My eyes were only on that black curtain, wondering who this Hawthorne was.

"Awesome!" Jessica exclaimed with a bright smile. "There isn't a crystal ball or anything like you see in movies, but she reads your palm and has you drink this tea so she can read the leaves. She told me that I would end up marrying Mike!"

"Really? That's great, Ang." I knew that was one of the general things that all fake fortune tellers told their clients, and said person would connect what was said to their own life. In this case, Jessica linked Mike to whatever this Hawthorne woman had told her.

Angela came out a little while later, and despite herself, she had a broad smile on her face. I looked behind her at the woman standing in the curtain, seeing that she was looking at me skeptically before she disappeared into the other room again.

"She told me that I would be a big success in life," Angela muttered happily to Jessica as I walked across the room since it was now my turn. I pushed aside the curtain and stepped inside the other room. I saw her sitting on a chair across from me with an empty seat opposite her, and I noticed that the circular walls were made of the same black material as the entrance room floor was, and the room was lit by a blacklight.

"Sit down, Alice," Hawthorne muttered as she gestured to the chair. "Though I'm sure that I could look at your palm or have you drink some tea and tell you something like I told your friends, and you would see right through me."

"Probably," I agreed, though I sat down in the chair anyway. I looked at her for a long moment, and she simply stared back at me without saying a word. "You're a vampire." The statement suddenly slipped out- I hadn't meant to say it so soon.

But Hawthorne only laughed at the observation. "Yes. That I am. Don't worry, I'm not going to harm you." She gave me a knowing smile since I had unconsciously tensed a little. "I can now see why Jasper is attracted to you. You're not a normal human, Alice. Most of the people who walk through that curtain will believe anything I tell them. But not you. You're something different."

I looked at her with shock. "You know Jasper?" I asked, not even concerned with how she knew me.

"Yes." Hawthorne seemed to be lost in thought now. "He was a friend of mine from the South during the war for territory."

"How did you two meet?" I wondered quietly. "If it's not too personal, that is."

"No, it's not too personal," Hawthorne replied. "I'm sure he's told you about how he was changed during the Civil War and he had to help Maria control her newborn army." I nodded. "Well, I'll back up a little. My real name is Heather Jackson. I was the younger cousin of 'Stonewall' Jackson when he was alive. I was nineteen when I was changed by Maria to become a part of her army. Jasper was the main one who tried to keep me under control in my group of newborns since I was rebellious and didn't want to serve Maria. He soon learned that she was planning on killing me since I wouldn't cooperate, and because we had become friends during our little time together since he admired my spirit, he helped me flee from her to the North so I would be free from Maria's control. I later heard that he was punished by her for helping me, and I feel terrible about it since I didn't get the chance to apologize or to really thank him.

"I wandered for decades around the country, trying to fit in with other groups of nomads but never really found where I belonged. So, eventually, I ended up here in Seattle where I started telling fortunes for a living. It's difficult being a vampire on your own, dear."

Sighing, I looked down at my hands that were resting on my lap. I felt a bit more comfortable now that I knew that Hawthorne, or Heather, was a friend of Jasper, one that he had helped. "Well, he may be attracted to me, but it obviously wasn't enough to keep him around," I muttered. "He and the rest of the vampires he lived with moved away about four months ago."

Surprisingly, Heather laughed, and I looked up at her with shock. "Do you really think that he would really go too far away from you, honey?" she asked. "He's always been there for you, you just haven't seen him. Believe me, I would have known if he would have left Washington."

Was that true? If that was the case, then was I really hallucinating when I saw him and the rest of the Cullen family? Had they truly been there after all?

"He wouldn't leave you, Alice," Heather finished as he reached over and took my hand in her cold one. "I'm sure he just wanted to make sure that you were truly safe. For most of his life, Jasper has had nothing but pain and hate. I can tell that changed as soon as you entered it, and since you gave him something to live for, he would not go far from you. I know Jasper, honey. I'm sure he'll show himself again when he feels the time is right. I don't have to pretend to look into your future to know that you will spend eternity at his side, in one way or another."

Tears burned in my eyes, but I hurriedly blinked them away. "You think?"

"I don't think, honey," Heather told me quietly with a sincere smile. "I know."

I waited for a moment so her words could sink in. Forever at Jasper's side… That's what I wanted more than anything in the world. But then, I remembered what Charlie told me the day before about what had been happening in Seattle. "Can I ask you a question, Hawthorne?"

"Please, call me Heather," she said. "But sure. What's your question, Alice?"

"Sorry. It's just that your sign… Never mind. Anyway, I was told last night that there were a lot of unusual murders happening here in Seattle and in a couple of other places. Do you know anything about that? I know they were caused by a vampire judging by the pictures I saw."

Heather sighed. "First off, I didn't do it, okay?" she told me. "I typically hunt away from Seattle so people don't get suspicious of me. But I know that there's a female with bright red hair that is creating a group of newborns. They're the ones who hunt in this area."

Dread flooded through me. "That female. Her name is Victoria," I explained. "She's probably creating those newborns to help her find me and Jasper."

"Why does she want you? Why does she want Jasper?" Heather asked with worry.

"I'm afraid it's my fault," I answered hesitantly. "It was because of me that Jasper killed her mate last year. She wants revenge on me, so she's going to do the same and kill Jasper. I can't let that happen…"

Heather tightened her hand around mine. "I wouldn't worry too much about Jasper, honey. He can handle his own," she muttered, and it seemed that she was trying to assure herself of the same thing. "But how do you know what Victoria's planning on doing to him?"

I knew that Jasper was a strong fighter and could handle his own… if he wasn't distracted by protecting me. "Well, I guess the best way to put it is that I can see a person's future based on what that person decides," I told her. "Victoria has been making a lot of decisions lately, and all of them have led to Jasper dying…"

Her worry for Jasper was evident on Heather's face. But then, she brushed that aside as she smiled and laughed a little, most likely to try and make me feel more comfortable. "You would be perfect for this job, Alice," she said teasingly.

"Yeah." I returned the smile, but my heart was still heavy. "I miss Jasper terribly, Heather, but if he's away from me, at least he's safe from Victoria."

"He's probably not really away, remember?" Heather whispered. I was frightened by her words, but before I could say anything in response, she slowly released my hand and got to her feet. "I've kept you long enough, honey. I don't want to worry your friends." She placed her hand on my shoulder when I stood up also. "I like you, Alice, and I believe you're exactly what Jasper needs also. If you ever want to talk about anything or want updates on Victoria, feel free to come see me or call me anytime. I'm here for you."

"Thank you," I said gratefully as I took the card she offered me. It was nice to find a typical vampire that was actually kind. "It was nice talking to you, Heather."

"You too, Alice. Be careful, dear."

I smiled at her as I put the card she gave me in my pocket and left the room, allowing the curtain to close shut behind me.

I told an excited Jessica and Angela that Hawthorne had told me all my dreams would come true.

* * *

_Jasper POV_

Once Alice and her friends had left _Hawthorne's Fortune Telling Parlor_, Edward and I quickly crossed the lawn and entered the building. The gothic décor didn't surprise me- it set the mood for her business, especially being a vampire. I saw slight movement out of the corner of my eye, and I noticed a giant python sitting curled in the corner, watching us warily.

"Hey, I'm closed!" a sharp voice suddenly snapped. "Come back tomorrow!"

I turned to look at a black curtain across the room from us, watching as a pale woman with crimson eyes that was a few inches taller than Alice and was dressed all in black came through it, crossing her arms as she glared at us. I smiled and laughed a little. "It's been quite a long time, Heather," I muttered. "I see you're doing well, though I didn't expect you to be doing a job like this."

The woman's eyes instantly widened in recognition. "Jasper?! Oh my, God, it really is you!" There was a huge smile on her face now as she crossed the room in a few quick strides and hugged me tightly. "It's so good to see you!"

"You know her?" Edward asked me curiously with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," I answered as we parted and both turned to look at my brother. "This is Heather Jackson. She was a friend of mine from the South during the war. I helped her to escape from our creator, Maria, when she was planning to kill her."

"I'm so sorry for what Maria did to you for helping me," Heather suddenly muttered as she looked up at me with apologetic eyes. "I never did get the chance to say that before…"

"It's all right, Heather," I replied as I gave her an encouraging smile. "I'm just glad that I was able to get you out of there."

Heather sighed, but then her mood shifted dramatically. "Oh! Your girlfriend was just in here a little while ago."

"Yes, I know," I said. "We've been keeping an eye on her."

A knowing smile appeared on Heather's face. "I knew you were," she told me. "I knew you wouldn't let her out of your sight since she means so much to you. She loves you so much, Jasper. Worried sick about you too…"

"I know that she's worried about Victoria coming for me." I had known that for a while, ever since the first time that Alice had tried to call me to tell me about her first vision. But I had been suspecting it for much longer.

"That's not all, Jasper." I could feel tremendous worry coming from Heather now. "I didn't want to tell Alice the full magnitude of this so she wouldn't be scared further, but Victoria is raising a newborn army, right here in Washington. I'm afraid that she's not just coming for you but for Alice too. I don't want anything to happen to you. To either of you."

A newborn army here in Washington? That would explain the messy kills that had been discovered around the area. But why did Victoria need an entire army to come for me? Maybe Heather was onto something. Victoria wasn't coming for me, at least, not directly…

"She's going to use Alice to get to me," I whispered. I could feel Edward's anxiety spike from behind me. Could I really have been wrong this entire time? I had assumed that Victoria would just come for me directly, but it didn't seem to be that way.

Heather narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What?" she asked.

"Victoria. She's going to use Alice to get to me," I explained hurriedly. "She's going to take Alice so that I will follow her. This is my fault. I never should have left. I've exposed Alice to Victoria too much…" I quickly turned to face Edward, seeing that he looked as horrified as he felt. "Call Carlisle immediately. Tell him we're coming back."

Edward nodded and gave one more wary look to Heather before he quickly left the building, taking out his cell phone. I sighed, and then I looked down in surprise when Heather's arms were around me tightly, and I hugged her back.

"Jasper, promise me you'll be careful," Heather whispered. "Please, go back to Alice now. Keep her and yourself safe."

"I will, Heather. I will," I assured her, running my hand comfortingly through her shoulder-length, dark hair once before we pulled apart. "Do me a favor and keep watch for any of Victoria's movements. That will help a lot in protecting Alice."

"You can count on it. That's no problem," Heather said. Then, she sighed, and I could feel her mood shift to a sadder one. "Jasper, why don't you change her?"

I also sighed. "I… I don't know," I muttered. "I want to, Heather, it's just-!"

Heather looked at me with sad understanding. "You want her to have the chance of life you never had."

"Well, I guess that's one way of putting it," I agreed. But now, I realized with dread that she might not get that chance because of my decision to leave. "Plus, you know who we'll have to deal with if I did. They would be interested in her foresight."

"Please, don't tell me that you're actually worried about those crackpots." I raised my eyebrow. It took a lot of courage to insult the Volturi, the vampire elite. But, she always did have that rebellious spirit… "But seriously, Jasper. Don't let this one go. She's perfect for you, I can see it. You can't lose her to time's cold grasp. Promise me, Jasper. You deserve happiness."

I looked at Heather for a long moment as I thought her words over. I wanted to change Alice so I could spend eternity with her, I really did. I just didn't want the Volturi to be watching her closely, most likely hoping to have her join their ranks due to her unique ability. It was a fear that I shared with Carlisle since he could see the same thing happening. Maybe when the time was right, I would turn her. But now, I had to concentrate on keeping Alice safe… and alive.

So, it was with a small smile that I muttered, "I promise."

* * *

_Alice POV_

Nose, stomach, man area, back of neck.

I kept repeating this to myself as Jessica, Angela, and I walked to the car in the parking lot we had left it in. It was a self-defense technique that Emmett had taught me a few years ago, and I thought that now would be a good time to remember this fighting order in case some guy tried to mug us or something, especially since I didn't have my pepper spray with me. Plus, I've always wanted to try it to see if it actually worked.

However, we made it to the car without any trouble, so I didn't have to try it tonight. That was a good thing. I wasn't sure if I was up for it. Jessica drove us downtown for a couple of more hours, and we stopped at some more stores for shopping and got some ice cream before we went back to the hotel for the night.

We dropped off all our shopping results in the room and changed into our swimsuits to go swimming in the pool on the first floor even though it was after midnight. We were all eighteen, so it was all right. We swam for about an hour and a half before I decided that I wanted to go back to the room. Jessica and Angela agreed and stayed behind to relax in the hot tub for a little while and do a short workout.

I climbed out of the pool, dried off a little so that I wouldn't drip all over the hallway floors, and left the pool. After I took the glass elevator up to the third floor, I began to dry off my hair some more as I found or room, inserted my copy of the room key, and pushed the door open. I made sure that the door closed quietly behind me again before walking past the bathroom so I could grab a pair of clothes to change into.

But when I reached my bed, the towel I was using to dry my hair from the pool dropped from my hand as my eyes widened in shock.

**A/N**: And… that's it for that one. Sorry for the cliffie, but I thought it was a good spot to end it. I'm not going to be able to give much of a preview since it would give away who is in her room, but I'm sure you all have your own ideas on who it is anyway, but I'll do the best I can. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Enjoy the preview!

**Next Chapter**: _Here With Me_

"_You're not real! Go away! Leave me alone!"_

Xxx

_Then, I felt someone sit on my bed, and I looked up to see that Angela was looking at me with concern. "Are you okay, Alice?" she asked quietly. "Your eyes are red."_

"_Oh, I'm fine," I answered as I quickly sat up. "It's… it's just the chlorine."_

Xxx

_The hallways were dimly lit, making them seem very eerie as I walked down them to the stairs since I didn't want to take the elevator. The second floor felt even creepier than the third as I searched for the right room number. 204… 205… 206… 207. I stood in front of the door almost nervously, raising my hand to knock. But before I actually could, I heard a soft click as the door slowly swung open to reveal the lit room inside. After a moment, I cautiously entered._


	22. Chapter 17: Here With Me

**Disclaimer**: Nope, none of the characters are mine. Except for Hawthorne/Heather and Mordred, but they're not in this chapter. Oh, I just have to say that the credit for the name Mordred for the python goes to my mom for thinking of it and my cousin Chris for actually finding the name that she wanted to think of. Thank you so much, you guys! Love you both!

**A/N**: Hey! I'm sorry for the wait on the update. I had job training for the last three days, which has taken up most of my time. So much so that I don't even have the next chapter written yet (I can give you a preview-ish type thing), but I figured you guys needed an update, so here we are. Thank you for all of your reviews! I appreciate them all! They're very encouraging! So, onto the next chapter! The person on her bed is…

_Chapter 17- Here With Me_

The towel I had been using to dry my hair from the pool dropped from my hand as my eyes widened in shock. "_Jasper_?!"

"Alice…" He looked back at me through concerned golden eyes, and I backed away from him until I hit the wall behind me. He may have looked real, but so had all my other hallucinations. "Please, Alice, you must listen…"

"No!" I screamed, shutting my eyes tightly and covering my ears as I turned away from him… the memory of Jasper. I must have appeared really crazy now- I was just glad that no one else was around to witness this- but this was the first time one of my hallucinations had actually talked back to me. "You're not real! Go away! Leave me alone! Please…"

I heard a quiet sigh, and then I gasped when I felt a pair of cold, gentle hands on my shoulders as they pulled me against a sturdy chest. I tensed as the comforting, protective arms wrapped around me securely, afraid to open my eyes since I didn't want him to disappear. They felt so real… I wanted them to be real…

"All we need is just a little patience," Jasper whispered the words from our song to me, just as he had on the last night of the camp in Montana…

When I heard these words, I started to sob. He was there… He was really back… I clung to Jasper tightly as my whole body began to tremble. I hadn't cried this hard since he left me… His arms tightened around me as my legs collapsed from under me since I was suddenly feeling very weak, and he easily lifted me up into his arms and sat down on the bed with me on his lap, my face still buried into his chest as I continued to cry.

"Jas… Jasper…"

"Shh…" Jasper tried to comfort me as he rubbed soothing circles into my back, feeling ice cold against my skin since I was still wearing my two-piece suit, and lightly kissed the top of my head. Then, when I didn't calm down, he began to send calming waves to me, but I tensed again at the unnatural feeling.

"No, Jasper," I muttered through my tears. "Stop. I… I need to get this out…" After all, I had been holding all of this emotion in for so long.

Jasper did stop, though I could tell that he wasn't happy about it. I wasn't sure how long I sat in his arms as I sobbed into his chest with him rubbing my back and kissing my head every once in a while, but it felt like forever before my tears finally stopped. I took a deep breath before I sat up to look at him, and he looked back down at me sadly as he slowly raised his hand and gently wiped my tears away.

"Alice, I'm so sorry," he told me quietly, almost hesitantly.

Acting completely on instinct now, I raised my hand in anger as though I meant to slap him across the face. But I froze as I thought better of the action, remembering what happened to my fingers a year ago when I slapped Jacob. Slapping a vampire would probably have the same outcome. Jasper looked at my raised hand sadly, realizing its intent, as he took it gently in his cold one and lowered it so it was resting on my lap.

"You… you were gone…" I whispered as I shook my head in disappointment- at him for actually leaving, at me for being weak enough to make him leave.

"I know," Jasper said simply as he tightened his hold around my hand. "Believe me, Alice, it wasn't something I wanted to do. I just wanted to protect you."

"From what?" I snapped with fresh ferocity, suddenly gaining more confidence. "From Victoria? Well, guess what, Jasper? She's still after me. And she's going to come for you too! You shouldn't be here! You're in danger! She's going to kill you!" I backed away from Jasper a little as I tried to push him away, though I felt like doing the exact opposite. He had to understand that he couldn't be anywhere near me if he wanted to live…

But Jasper wrapped one of his arms behind my back and gently pulled me against him again, and I gave up trying to fight out of his embrace as I laid my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around him securely. Despite myself, I sighed as I closed my eyes with contentment. I cherished the feeling of his arms wrapped around me, shielding me from the rest of the world. These were the arms that I had dreamed of being in again for the past four months.

"Why do you have to be so damn perfect?" I whispered. I just couldn't seem to stay mad at him, not when he had truly come back to me.

Jasper laughed a little, almost darkly. "Believe me, Alice, I'm nowhere near perfect," he told me as he gently lifted my face up so I could look him in the eye. His gaze faltered when he saw that there were tears shining in my eyes again, and he used his thumb to gently wipe away a stray one that fell. "But Victoria is proving to be more of a threat than we anticipated, so that is why I'm here now. I cannot leave you alone with this growing threat anymore. I won't take that chance with you."

That's when I began to cry a little. "Jasper, I've been having so many visions since Victoria is making her revenge plans against me," I muttered anxiously as I ran my fingers lightly over his cheek, watching as he closed his eyes at my touch. "Each one ends up the same or will at least end up the same if it continued. You're going to die if you stay here, Jasper. I saw it. I can't let that happen. I-!"

My sentence was abruptly cut off by Jasper's cold lips meeting mine in tender kiss. My tears slowly stopped as I closed my eyes when he backed away again, and then I reached forward and pulled his lips back down to mine. The kiss intensified slightly as we continued it for a couple of minutes. This was what I had been wanting for the past four months.

"Please don't leave me again," I whispered before I kissed him again.

"I won't, Alice," Jasper replied just as quietly as he placed his forehead gently against mine. "I won't." Then, our lips met again. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I moved as close to him as I could, and he moved his hand to rest on my hip.

But then, Jasper suddenly broke the kiss and looked at the door. "Your friends are coming," he muttered so he wouldn't be heard, setting me down on the bed as he got to his feet. "I'll see you soon, Alice."

"Please, no." I reached out and grabbed his arm as Jasper moved toward the window. I couldn't lose him again, not so soon. That would completely destroy me.

Jasper sighed as he knelt down on the floor in front of me and placed his hand on top of mine. "It's all right, Alice. I'm not going far," he assured me. "I'll be right in this hotel. Edward and I have joining rooms for the night one floor down. I'm in room 207 and he's in room 208. Come see me once Jessica and Angela fall asleep, all right?"

I reluctantly nodded, and Jasper gave me a small smile before he leaned forward and kissed my lips quickly as he gently pried my hand off his arm. Then he moved to the window and pushed it open before climbing out onto the ledge. "I love you," he said. Then, he shut the window and jumped out of sight.

"I love you too," I whispered, wondering if he could still hear me. How I had longed to say those words… Then, I jumped slightly when I heard the door to the room open, and I quickly reached down and grabbed my towel as I pretended that I had been drying my hair as Jessica and Angela entered.

"Hey, Alice. Sorry we took so long," Jessica said as she sat down on her bed.

"That's all right. Not a problem," I replied as I lay down and reached into my bag to grab my pajamas, figuring I'd just change into them.

Then, I felt someone sit on my bed, and I looked up to see that Angela was looking at me with concern. "Are you okay, Alice?" she asked quietly. "Your eyes are red."

"Oh, I'm fine," I answered as I quickly sat up. "It's… it's just from the chlorine." Before either of them could say anything more, I got up from the bed and went into the bathroom. I didn't want them to know that I had been crying, especially now that I had my life back.

Once all of us were changed into our pajamas, we sat on my bed with our copies of Wuthering Heights to discuss our previous reading since we were going to have a quiz on it when we went back to school on Monday. However, we didn't end up getting very far.

"You seem to be in a much better mood, Alice," Jessica observed. "What happened while you were up here without us?"

"Nothing really," I told her with a smile. I didn't want to tell them about Jasper being back before they discovered that for themselves. Plus, it would be hard to explain how he got in and out of our hotel room without them seeing him leave. "I guess it's just because graduation's coming up. Exciting times, you know?"

Angela and Jessica exchanged disbelieving looks- they probably thought that I was acting strangely again. "Do you have any plans for after graduation?" Angela wondered. "I mean, do you have a school in mind?"

"Well, I had planned on going to Texas with Jasper after we graduated, but I'm not sure if that's going to happen anymore since he and his family left," I told her. "But, I might go visit him instead."

"You mean you talked to Jasper?" Jessica asked, surprised. No one had heard a word from the Cullens in almost five months.

I nodded. "Somewhat recently, yeah," I answered. "He told me that he and his family were going to try to make it back before graduation, but if not, then he would pay to have me come visit them."

Jessica and Angela exchanged another look. "That's really sweet, Alice," Angela muttered hesitantly. "But why didn't he contact you before now? It's been so long…"

"He's just been really busy, I guess," I shrugged. "I'm not sure really. But, oh well. Let's just get back to the reading."

We talked about Wuthering Heights for about another half hour before we started getting tired and agreed that we should go to bed. We all laid down and turned out the lights, and I secretly put my iPod earphones in and played one of my favorite upbeat songs so I wouldn't fall asleep. I waited for almost a half hour, made sure that Jessica and Angela were sleeping, and climbed out of bed and stuffed pillows under the covers to make it look like I was still there before grabbing my copy of the room key and quietly sneaking out of the room.

The hallways were dimly lit, making them seem very eerie as I walked down them to the stairs since I didn't feel very comfortably taking the elevator. The second floor felt even creepier than the third as I searched for the right room number. 204… 205… 206… 207. I stood in front of the door almost nervously, raising my hand to knock. But before I actually could, I heard a soft click as the door slowly swung open to reveal the lit room inside. After a moment, I cautiously entered.

No one was in the room. I looked around warily, gasping with surprise as I quickly turned around when the door suddenly closed behind me. I was instantly on high alert. Where was Jasper? Memories of my visions immediately came back to me. Had Victoria gotten to him? Was she going to take me now?

Suddenly, I screamed when a pair of cold hands landed on my shoulders and turned me back around, but I sighed with relief when I found myself looking up into the concerned face of Jasper. "God, Jazz, don't do that," I muttered, smacking his chest as hard as I dared so I wouldn't break anything. Not that he could feel that anyway…

"I'm sorry," Jasper replied, seeming confused as to why I was snapping at him. "But it's good to hear you call me by that name again. I missed it."

I smiled as I wrapped my arms around him tightly. "Bella and Emmett call you that too if I recall," I reminded him.

Jasper smirked, running his finger beneath my chin playfully. "Yeah, but it's not quite the same," he pointed out.

"True…" My smile broadened, and I pulled his lips down to meet mine in a kiss. Jasper returned it with more intensity as he gently pulled me closer to him so there was no space between us.

"Am I going to get the chance to see my sister, Jasper, or are you going to keep her to yourself for the night?"

I broke the kiss when I heard the new voice, and my entire face lit up when I saw Edward leaning against the doorway that separated the two rooms, smiling at me. "Ed!" I pulled away from Jasper and ran over to my brother, hugging him tightly.

Edward laughed as he hugged me back. "It's good to see you again, Alice," he told me. There were tears in my eyes now, but I forced them back when Edward tilted my face up to kiss my forehead.

"I missed you so much," I whispered.

"I missed you too," Edward replied, hugging me again tightly before he pushed me back towards Jasper. "That's why we all kept coming back to check on you even though Carlisle wasn't too fond of the idea."

"Wait, you guys _did_ come back?" I asked, looking from Jasper to Edward and back.

Jasper nodded. "We couldn't stand to stay away from you for too long, so we kept checking up on you," he answered. "You did see us a couple of times, but it was a risk we felt like we had to take."

"So… I really wasn't hallucinating?" That was almost too good to be true and a big relief. At least I wasn't going crazy… in that respect, anyway.

"No, Alice," Jasper laughed as he wrapped his arm around me. "You weren't hallucinating."

I sighed as I leaned into him. "So, where are you guys staying then?" I asked. "Not in Forks, right?"

"We're staying in a house a little ways outside of Forks," Edward answered. "Well move back in the old house once graduation is over. But the main reason we're back here is because of Victoria's army."

"Edward," Jasper hissed, almost in warning, as he tensed around me.

"Wait, army?" I looked up at Jasper anxiously. "What army?"

Jasper sighed heavily. "Heather didn't want to scare you, Alice, but Victoria is raising an entire newborn army in this area. We fear that she's going to use that to get to us."

Tears formed in my eyes again. "That's why you can't be near me, Jazz."

Jasper's gazed saddened, but before we could say anything, we both turned to look at Edward when his cell phone rang. "Hello? All right. I'll be right there."

"What's going on, Ed?" I asked as he flipped the phone closed and put it in his pocket.

"Emmett wants me back," he answered softly as he walked for the door of the room. "There are some traces of vampires in the area around the house we're staying in."

"Do you want me to come along?" I could tell that Jasper was worried by this news.

Edward shook his head. "No. You should stay with Alice." He gave me a pointed but concerned look. "I'll call if I need you." Then, he was gone, leaving Jasper and I alone.

I was feeling very worried too. If there were some newborns or other vampires around my family, they were probably looking for Jasper… I tightened my arms around him. No, I wouldn't let anything happen to him…

Jasper then turned completely to face me, resting his hands on my waist in a comforting way. I closed my eyes as I leaned against him, and I felt even calmer when I breathed in his subtle scent of vanilla and autumn leaves. But then, I laughed a little when I suddenly found myself lying on my back on the bed with him beside me.

"You don't know how much I've missed this," I told him in a mutter as I laid one arm over him.

"Yes, I do. I've missed it just as much," Jasper countered, putting one arm around me as he pulled me closer to him so that he was now leaning over me, perched on his other arm.

I smiled up at him, running my fingers over Jasper's perfect face as I stared into his beautiful eyes. At that moment, I didn't care that Victoria was building an army of newborn vampires around me that she was going to use to kill me. All I cared about was that I was here, with Jasper again, which was right where I belonged.

"I love you," I whispered, knowing that those three words couldn't fully express what I was feeling, but he would be able to know by my emotions.

Jasper smiled back down at me before slowly leaning down and gently kissing my forehead. "I love you too." His words came out even more quietly than mine, but I could hear them very clearly. They were the words I had been longing to hear for nearly five months now.

Without another word, I reached up and pulled Jasper's lips down to mine in a kiss since they were so close. He returned it just as tenderly, but then I tried to deepen it, and it became more intense when he allowed me to. My legs intertwined with his, and we were so close together that you could hardly tell where my body ended and his began. We stayed that way for a long time until he broke the kiss and turned onto his back so that I could lay my head on his chest.

"Rest now, Alice. You're exhausted," Jasper told me quietly as he ran his hand through my hair.

"Will you be there when I open my eyes again?" I asked, wrapping my arm around his waist and pulling myself close to him.

Jasper laughed a little, kissing the top of my head. "If I am not, I will not be far," he answered. "I promise you that, Alice."

I smiled as I closed my eyes and snuggled into his chest as he began to rub my back, knowing that my dreams would once again be sweet since I finally had my life back.

**A/N**: A sweet, fluffy ending there. I know that you've all been waiting for something like this for a long time. I hope it lived up to your expectations! This chapter was basically meant to show Jasper and Alice reuniting, so there wasn't really any major plot developments or anything. But starting with the next chapter, there will be more of "Eclipse." So, thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you, and enjoy the preview-ish type thing!

**Next Chapter**: _Memories_

_I slowly opened my eyes when the sunlight hit them, and I noticed that I was still in a hotel room. I looked next to me, and I saw with horror that Jasper was no longer there._


	23. Chapter 18: Memories

**Disclaimer**: Nope, none of these characters are mine!

**A/N**: Hey! Sorry about the longish wait again, guys. I had most of this chapter done, but with work and all the other stuff going on in my life right now (pretty bad, but it should be getting better soon… I hope…), I haven't had much time for writing. So, I finished writing this chapter for you guys before I went to bed last night in case I had the chance to update one of these days. And today, I'm having an unexpected day off! So, I can update. I hope you guys like this chapter!

_Chapter 18- Memories_

I slowly opened my eyes when the sunlight hit them, and I noticed that I was still in a hotel room. I looked next tome, and I saw with horror that Jasper was no longer there. I gasped as I quickly sat up and looked around, feeling unnerved that I was alone on the bed. Had it only truly been a hallucination or a dream? I didn't think so. It had seemed so real…

"Are you all right, Alice? I'm sorry if we woke you."

I looked over at the second bed in the room, seeing that Angela was sitting on it and looking over at me with concern. She was holding her copy of Wuthering Heights in her hand and was probably trying to get ahead in her reading. Typical Angela…

"You look like you had a nightmare or something," she added quietly.

Had it been a nightmare? I wasn't sure. It definitely hadn't been when I closed my eyes…

But before I could say anything, I heard another door open and watched as Jessica came walking out of the bathroom, drying her hair with the pink towel that she had brought with her. "What's going on?" she wondered. Then, her eyes narrowed when they landed on me. "You okay, Alice? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Had it only been just that- a ghost of my past? No, I was sure that Jasper had been there. I knew he had been… I just had to prove it to myself.

Before Jessica or Angela could say anything else, I jumped off the bed and ran to the door of our hotel room. I had to find Jasper… I could hear my friends shout my name from behind me, but I ignored them as I ran down the hall, rushed down to the second floor by taking the stairs two at a time, and hurried to find room 207.

When I found it, my eyes widened with fear.

The door was being held open by a wooden wedge, and there was a bin of cleaning supplies inside while the sheets had been completely removed from the bed. He was gone.

Shaking my head in disbelief, I looked into room 208 right next to it, and I saw the same thing. Just like Jasper, Edward was also missing. No, this couldn't be happening… He had promised he wouldn't be far.

"Alice! Alice, what are you doing?"

Trying to keep my burning tears at bay, I looked over my shoulder and watched as Angela and Jessica came down the stairs to stand next to me. They looked into the empty rooms with confusion, not understanding why I was down here.

Before I could try to come up with an answer to their silent questions, my cell phone began to ring from my pajama pocket. I quickly took it out, not recognizing the number, but I flipped it open and brought it to my ear anyway. "Hello?" I hoped my voice sounded calmer than I felt.

"_Alice._"

My eyes widened when I heard the quiet voice. "Wh-what's going on?" I asked just as quietly. "Where are you?" I turned my back on Jessica and Angela and took a couple of steps away from them, hoping my conversation would be more private.

"_I'm sorry we had to leave, Alice,_" Jasper answered. _"But as you can see, the sun is out. We didn't want to be seen, so we checked out early this morning. We're at the house that we're staying at now._"

I sighed as my nerves began to settle, and I felt a smile spread across my face. "That's all right. I understand," I muttered, though I wished he was still there. "I'll see you again soon though, right?"

"_Yes,_" Jasper told me. "_I can come to you house tonight if you wish me to. I will understand if you do not. I have not been there for you when I should have been…_"

"No, I want you to," I said quickly. "Please." The more I could see Jasper, the better. We had to make up for lost time.

There was a long, tense silence on the other end, one that made me nervous. I was about to quietly say his name to see if he was still there when he finally spoke again. "_All right. I will be there._"

A smile once again appeared on my face. "Thank you, Jazz," I whispered, knowing that he could hear me.

Jasper sighed, and I was instantly concerned. "_Alice, I do not understand why you are accepting me back now,_" he muttered, and I could hear the regret in his voice. "_We left you, tried to erase ourselves from your life, and you still want to see me. You are giving me more than I deserve._"

I felt a thin line of tears from in my eyes. "Jazz, I love you," I told him, making sure that Jessica and Angela couldn't hear me. "Believe me when I say when I first saw you again, I felt like… I don't know. I just wanted to slap you or something. I was furious. But, there hasn't been a single day where I didn't hope that you would come back to me, and now, you have. Now, I'm just relieved that I have you again."

There was another long pause. "_I don't deserve your forgiveness, Alice,_" Jasper finally said. "_I have caused you so much pain…_"

"You went through a lot of pain too, I can tell. But, you're still holding on to yours," I countered. "You're getting my forgiveness, Jazz, if you like it or not. No matter how much it destroyed me, I realize you were only trying to protect me. Granted, I'm still a bit angry that you all left, but that doesn't mean I don't forgive you."

"_It was the wrong thing to do… to leave you…_"

"That may be, but you're back now," I said gently but firmly. "You realized you made the wrong choice, and you came back. I forgive you, Jazz, but now it's up to you to forgive yourself."

After another moment of silence, I heard Jasper sigh again. "_Thank you, Alice,_" he replied. "_I'll see you tonight._"

"See you tonight," I agreed. "And remember, I love you."

"_I love you too, Alice. Bye._"

"Bye." I flipped my phone closed and put it back in my pajama pocket before turning back to my two friends. I felt as though some great weight had been lifted off my chest and I could breathe easier again.

"Who was that?" Jessica asked when I approached them again. "That was a pretty secretive conversation you were having…"

"Oh, that was just… my grandmother," I told them, quickly making up a story to appease them. "But, let's not worry about that. This is our last day in Seattle. Let's make the most of it!"

* * *

And make the most of it we did.

After we cleaned up the room and packed up all our stuff, Jessica, Angela, and I put our bags in the trunk of the car before driving out to a mall to do some more shopping. We spent the day going from store to store, trying on crazy clothes for fun, eating lunch at the food court, and taking pictures in one of those photo booths to capture the memories of our Seattle trip.

We left the mall and went to a bit of a nicer restaurant for dinner, and then we drove back to the hotel to get Jessica's mom. We wanted to get back to Forks before it got too late since we had school the next day. But we didn't have much school left before we graduated, which all three of us were greatly looking forward to.

It was a little after eight when I was dropped off at my house. I thanked them for bringing me along on the trip and paying for it and grabbed all my bags out of the trunk, waving to them until they drove out of sight before I walked through the front door.

"I'm home, Grandma!" I called, locking the door behind me and slipping my shoes off.

"Oh, I'm glad you're home, dear!" my grandmother replied, though I couldn't see her. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah," I told her, wondering why she wasn't coming to meet me like she usually did. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the living room."

Curious now, I set my bags down at the base of the staircase and entered the living room. My grandmother was sitting on the couch holding a thick book in her hand, and there were a few more stacked on the floor by her feet. When she heard me enter, she looked up and gave me a warm smile.

"Come and sit, dear," she said. "There's something I would like to show you."

I slowly walked over to the couch and sat down next to her, seeing that my grandmother wasn't actually holding a book. Instead, it was a photo album. I smiled when I saw a few pictures of Emmett, Edward, and I when we were still in diapers. As my grandmother flipped through a few more pages, I saw that there were more pictures where we were a little older, and I realized that these albums probably covered the span of our childhood. These memories were priceless, and I knew I would treasure them always.

"These photo albums belonged to your parents," my grandmother explained as I looked at a particular picture of my brothers and I at an outdoor water park. I remembered that day clearly. I had been so proud of myself since I had gone down the big waterslide with Edward. However, that had also been the day I learned how to swim when Emmett pushed me in the deep end of the pool. I had almost drowned before my father was able to get to me. "I kept them up in the attic for the past few years, and I thought that now would be a good time to look at them since… well, since so many changes are happening. But this one here is _my_ personal photo album."

I watched curiously as she picked up a thinner, light brown album sitting on the small table next to her and opened to the first page. I saw a picture of a young girl, maybe around six, holding a jump rope in her hands, her shoulder-length black hair in pigtails. Her smile was broad, and I noticed that she was missing her two front teeth. She looked very familiar…

"Who is she?" I asked quietly.

My grandmother smiled down at me. "This, dear, is your mother when she was a child," she answered. "She was so adorable, always charming the people I worked with when I brought her in with me."

My mother? Wow… I glanced back at a picture of me when I was around the same age. The resemblance between us was striking.

"You looked a lot like her at that age," my grandmother told me with a slight laugh. "Acted like her too. You truly are your mother's daughter."

I smiled at the compliment as we continued to flip through the album of my mother's childhood. She had been a wonderful woman. It was a hope of mine that I would grow to be like her.

Then, we stopped at a picture of my mother, now an older teenager, with a handsome man with shoulder-length, honey-colored hair that was similar to Edward's who was wearing a leather jacket. If this was my mother, then the man with her must have been…

"She met your father when she was the same age you were when you re-met Jasper," my grandmother explained. "She was seventeen, he was two years older. I was wary of him at first since he was a bit of a rebel. Besides, your mother was from the small town of Forks while he was from a bigger city. But, he seemed to really care about her, and she loved him more than anything else in the world. I had never seen her happier than when she was with him. Everyone said they were the perfect couple. They married a couple of years later, and when Emmett was born a few years after that, he proved to be a capable and devoted father."

I found that I couldn't take my eyes away from the picture for a long time. I looked at my mother, beautiful as ever, as she smiled brightly, wrapped in the arms of my father, who was grinning broadly. It was clear that this was where Emmett got his grin … They seemed to be truly happy together. It made me feel happy just looking at them.

My grandmother sighed as she placed her hand on top of my head. "I've giving you this photo album, Alice," she whispered, and I looked up at her with shock. "You'll get more use out of it than I will now, and I know that it's in good hands."

"Thank you," I muttered, not knowing what else to say. "I love it, Grandma."

"I know, Alice. You're very welcome." My grandmother leaned down and gently kissed my forehead. "Now, I think it's time you started unpacking so you can get ready for bed at a decent hour for school tomorrow. Do you want any help?"

"Uh, no thanks. I can do it." I then leaned forward and hugged her tightly. "Thank you again, Grandma."

"Of course, dear. Good night."

"Good night." I stood up and left the living room with my grandmother's photo album, grabbing my bags and hurrying up the stairs to my room. I shut the door behind me and turned on the lights, startling Mina where she lay on my bed. I laughed a little as I set my bags near the closet and placed the photo album on my desk near the window before tackling the unpacking I now had to do.

First, I put all of the clothes I had worn in my laundry basket so I could do a load tomorrow after school and then put all of my hygiene tools in their proper place in the bathroom or on my dresser. Then, I put my iPod and copy of Wuthering Heights in their spot for my "things to bring to school" pile before putting the empty bags out of the way on the floor of my closet. After that, I hung up all the new clothes I had bought and put my new books on the bookshelf, and then I paused for a moment when I found the card that Heather had given me if I ever needed to contact her. After a moment, I placed it safely on my bookshelf so I could easily find it again. Once all of that was done, I changed into my white tank top and black shorts for sleeping before collapsing onto my bed and closing my eyes. It had been a fun but long weekend…

"Your mother looks a lot like you, just not quite as short."

I gasped as I opened my eyes and quickly sat up, seeing that Jasper was standing next to my desk and looking at the same picture of my parents that I had been so drawn to before. I hadn't even heard him come in… I would have to get used to that all over again.

"My grandmother gave that to me," I said once my heart returned to its normal rate as I got off my bed to stand next to him. I leaned into his side and he put his arm around me as we both looked down at the picture. "They look so happy."

"They are," Jasper agreed quietly. Then, he looked down at me. "I have some things to give back to you also."

I watched curiously as he reached into his light sweatshirt pocket and pulled out some pictures. I took them from his proffered hand and looked through them, seeing that these were my favorite memories that had vanished from my desk- the ones of my brothers and I, the ones with the Cullen family, and most importantly, the ones of Jasper and I. I looked up on my wall then, seeing that the framed picture of us that had once been there was once again in its proper place. Then, I gently took the picture of my parents that I loved so much out of the album and placed it next to the framed picture of Jasper and I, immediately noticing how similar they were. I felt tears beginning to form in my eyes as I set the rest of the pictures down on my desk.

"Thank you so much, Jazz…"

Jasper smiled back down at me as he lightly brushed a stray tear from my cheek. "We tried to erase ourselves from your life," he muttered thoughtfully. "But… memories are the hardest things to lose."

"They stay with you forever," I added as I took his hand in mine. "Thank you for bringing them back, Jazz."

"Of course, Alice. I know how important they are to you." Jasper gently kissed the top of my head. "Memories also keep those you have lost alive."

I glanced at the photo album that my grandmother had given to me, knowing that I would treasure it because of the memories of my parents it now gave me. "I miss her," I murmured. "I miss both of my parents."

Jasper tightened his arm around me before he tilted my face up to meet his gaze. "I know," he told me. "But they are still with you through your grandmother's and now your memories of them, and I also know that you have them within you."

That brought a smile to my face. I was used to being told that I was a lot like my mother, both in looks and in personality, and I knew that I also had some traits of my father. The way that Jasper confirmed it made me feel much better.

"I love you, Jazz," I whispered.

Jasper returned the smile. "I love you too, Alice." Then, he leaned down and met my lips in a tender kiss. His lips lingered near mine when he pulled away a little, placing his cold forehead against mine, and I leaned forward and kissed him again. Jasper gently pulled me up against him, and the kiss began to get more intense.

"Eww, guys. Get a room! Come on, now…"

Jasper grinned against my lips before he broke the kiss, and we both turned to face the window. "Emmett!" I exclaimed happily, seeing that my oldest brother was crouched on the tree branch right near my window, smirking at us. I was about to run to the window to greet him, but Jasper suddenly put his hands on my shoulders, holding me back.

"What's wrong, Emmett?" he asked quietly, a note of worry in his tone.

I looked up at Jasper nervously before turning my attention back to Emmett. I watched as he sighed and pulled something out from behind his back, holding it out before him for us to see. What I saw made my eyes widen with fear.

Emmett was holding my favorite black hoodie, the one that had gone missing, but it was now torn in many places and stained with what looked eerily like blood.

**A/N**: And… that's it for that one, ha ha. I know, pretty evil, right? I'm sorry to day that I can't give you a full preview again (the next chapter's not done since I haven't had much time for writing), but I can give you a bit of a sneak peek. So, thank you for reading, your reviews are much appreciated, and enjoy the little look at the next chapter!

**Next Chapter**: _Family Reunion_

"_Victoria's scent is definitely on here," he muttered. Then, he quickly sniffed one of the areas that contained the ominous dark substance. "The blood is animal. Bear, I believe…"_

"_Well, no matter what it is, I think it's sending a very clear message," Emmett muttered grimly, his golden eyes moving to me with concern._


	24. Chapter 19: Family Reunion

**Disclaimer**: None of the characters are mine. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N**: Sorry for the really long wait, guys! Seeing the midnight showing of Eclipse inspired me, so here is the next chapter. Thank you for your patience! I'm hoping the next chapter will be up soon! Enjoy!

_Chapter 19- Family Reunion_

My face paled as I looked at my shredded, blood-stained hoodie, and I instantly felt my head beginning to spin. Jasper looked down at me and tightened his hold on my shoulders, gently sitting me down on the bed as Emmett silently climbed in through the window. Once he made sure that I was all right, Jasper turned his attention to my brother and carefully took the remains of my beloved hoodie to inspect it.

"Victoria's scent is definitely on here," he muttered. Then, he quickly sniffed one of the areas that contained the ominous dark substance. "The blood is animal. Bear I believe..."

"Well, no matter what it is, I think it's sending a very clear message," Emmet muttered grimly, his golden eyes moving to me with concern.

Yes, the message was clear all right. That's what Victoria and her army of newborns were planning on doing to me. But if that was the case, then it was still possible that I could save Japer from suffering the fate that I had seen.

Jasper suddenly looked over at me, probably able to sense my conflicting feelings. I looked back up at him, determined not to let him know what I was thinking about. I didn't want him to worry about me doing anything crazy when he was already concerned about my safety.

Before he could say anything, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his small, silver phone. It must have been ringing though I couldn't hear it because he immediately flipped it open and brought it to his ear. "Hello?"

I watched his face closely, and I felt nervous when I saw his gaze falter. "You didn't tell them anything, did you?" he asked quietly. There was a short pause before he sighed with what I assumed was relief. "No, of course not. I was just making sure... Thank you for the information. We'll be careful. You too. Let me know if you see anything else. Bye."

"Who was that?" Emmett wondered as Jasper flipped the small phone closed and put it back in his pocket.

"Heather," Jasper muttered, and I felt a knot begin to form in my stomach.

"Who's Heather?"

"A vampire friend of Jazz's in Seattle," I told him before turning back to Jasper. "What did she say?"

BUt Jasper ignored me. "Emmett, where did you find Alice's hoodie?" he asked, holding it up for emphasis.

"We found it this morning," Emmett answered. "It was on the side of the house, shoved between a couple of rose bushes. We assume that the newborns left it there last night."

Jasper sighed. "All right. Even though you found it there, Heather-!"

"What did she say, Jazz?" I interrupted. The fact that he wasn't answering me was making the knot in my stomach get tighter.

After a moment, Jasper slowly turned to look at me. "She told me that two newborns were in her store last night," he said quietly. "She thought they were from Victoria's army because they asked about you." My face paled again as the pesky knot in my stomach started to get painful.

"If Victoria had been with them, they would have gotten you in Seattle last night," Jasper concluded grimly.

Emmett suddenly cursed loudly, and I looked over at him shakily. They had almost found me... it had been so close... "Could they track her here, Jazz?" he asked, and I could clearly see his anger. "Could they come to the house?"

"It's possible," Jasper muttered thoughtfully. "Maybe we should bring her to the house we're staying at for tonight. That would be safer since there's more of us.."

"No!" I suddenly said, and Jasper looked at me with surprise. "I'm not going to leave my grandmother here alone in case some newborns come for me."

Jasper looked torn. "Alice..."

"I'm not leaving her here, Jazz!" My ferocity surprised even me. But I knew I wasn't going to let my grandmother die because of me.

"She's right, Jazz," Emmett said quietly. "Besides, she's my grandmother too. I'll stay here and make sure she's safe. We'll keep in touch through phone. I"ll let you know if anything happens."

Jasper sighed, and I tried to give him an encouraging smile. I felt better knowing that Emmett would be here to watch over our grandmother, but I couldn't possibly imagine what Jasper was going through. He hid his fear and worry very well. I bet that had come from his time in both the Confederate army and Maria's newborn one.

"All right. That would probably be best," Jasper finally muttered. "We'll keep Alice at our house for a couple nights to see if any newborns come here. If not, it should be safe to bring her back."

Emmett grinned. "Don't forget that Al has school tomorrow, Jazz," he told him. "You should probably bring her back in the morning before Grandma wakes up too."

Despite himself, Jasper turned to me with a slight smile. "We're going to be up pretty late," he informed me. "Will you be all right at school tomorrow?"

I smiled back up at him as I got to my feet. "Don't worry about me," I replied. "It wouldn't be the first time I pulled an all-nighter on a school night."

* * *

I sat in the passenger seat of Jasper's Volvo silently, watching as he drove far away from the city of Forks. It was an awkward car ride to say the least since we weren't really talking after the incident of their departure and now sudden reappearance, but I felt that I couldn't stay angry with Jasper. Though they had been away, he had often snuck back to see me and make sure I was all right. That combined with my worry for him because of Victoria's plans, I found that anger was pretty low on my list.

Though I didn't realize it, I must have dozed off at some point while he was driving because I was suddenly woken by a cold hand gently touching my cheek. "We're here, Alice," Jasper said quietly, a small smile appearing on his face as I sleepily looked back at him.

FIghting back a yawn, I looked around the area, and I saw that we were in front of a smaller house than the one they had in Forks, but it was still surrounded by dense trees. Since it was so secluded and out of the way, it was perfect for a family of vampires. But I couldn't wait until they moved back into their own house. They would be much closer then.

"Are you ready to go inside?" Jasper asked.

Was I? It had been months since I had last sen any of the Cullens, and now, I was about to be reunited with them all. But after long deliberation, I knew that it was going to be good to see them again.

I slowly nodded, and Jasper immediately climbed out of the car and came to my door and opened it for me. I stepped out, giving him a smile as he wrapped his larger hand around mine and began to lead me up to the house. I was almost holding my breath I was so nervous. It felt like I was meeting his family for the first time in my life.

"Now, I understand that you are probably angry with us for leaving so suddenly, but please try to understand that we were only trying to protect you," Jasper muttered as we walked through the low-hanging branches. "We thought we were working in your best interest, but we were wrong."

"I know, Jazz." That was all I could really say since that was all that was needed. Everything else had already been said.

Jasper sighed as he stood on the porch for a long moment, almost seeming to have an internal debate of whether or not we should go inside. Finally, he reached forward and pushed down on the door handle, allowing the door to slowly swing open. Tightening his hand slightly around mine, Jasper stepped inside, pulling me in after him as the door closed again behind me.

The Cullens, sans Emmett, were all sitting in the small living room, waiting for us. Bella sat on a chair with Edward, both looking at me with regret. Rosalie sat in a chair across from them, not even able to meet my gaze. Esme and Carlisle sat on the couch next to her, Esme looking at me with concern while Carlisle wore no expression on his handsome face, his eyes unusually blank.

This was the family that I had longed to see.

"Hi," I muttered awkwardly as I looked at each of their faces.

Before I could react, I gasped with surprise when a pair of cold arms suddenly wrapped around me. "We're so sorry, Alice," Bella said, regret laced in her tone.

"I know. It's okay," I tried to assure her, wrapping my arms tightly around the girl I considered to be my sister. "I understand." Then, I smiled at Edward as he came up to us and placed his hand on my arm.

"You really are too gracious, Alice," Rosalie muttered as she hugged me too.

"I'm just glad you guys are back," I replied before I was wrapped up in the arms of Esme.

"Well, we're glad that you're okay," Carlisle countered, hugging me quickly before glancing at Jasper. "With these other vampires around..."

"They're after me and Jasper." I was grateful when Jasper's hand tightened around mine.

Carlisle's face darkened. "I know. That's why we're here."

Then, Jasper released my hand as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "Hello?" There was a long moment of silence as he listened to whoever had called, and though his expression didn't change, his eyes flickered. "Okay, I'll be right there."

"What's going on?" I asked with concern.

Jasper sighed. "Emmett is catching scents of a couple vampires near your house," he answered quietly, and I felt my anxiety spike. "I'm going to check it out." His eyes then moved to the rest of the family. "Stay with Alice."

"Wait!" But I sighed to myself when Jasper turned and hurried out the door.

* * *

_Jasper_

I knew taking my car would be too risky, so I made my way back to Alice's house by foot. I found Emmett in the backyard, staring into the dense trees intently. "Thanks for calling," I told him quietly as I stopped next to him.

Emmett nodded once. "I'm only picking up two scents, so I could handle them on my own," he replied. "But I thought you should be aware of what's going on."

"I'm glad you told me." My eyes narrowed slightly as a quiet growl escaped from my throat. "You never know what to expect with newborns."

As soon as the words left my mouth, two figures stepped out of the trees and began to walk toward us. Emmett tensed beside me, but I put my hand on his arm in a restraining way as they approached. One was a man with blond hair, the other a younger girl with black hair that fell to her shoulders. But both of their eyes were crimson.

"What do you want?" I asked once they stopped in front of us.

The man looked at me closely, the bloodlust clear in his eyes. "You carry her scent." Before I realized what was happening, he was standing directly in front of me, a dark smirk on his face. "Where is the girl?" Emmett growled threateningly from beside me.

"You're not going to find her," I told him calmly. He was a newborn that was clearly working for Victoria. There was no use losing my temper.

"Oh, won't I?" the man snarled angrily. "Then why don't I start by breaking your neck? It'll be the same thing I do to that pretty little girl-!"

Suddenly, Emmett lunged forward and tackled the other vampire away from me, both of them landing some distance away. "Emmett!" I snapped, watching as they began to fight with each other. "Enough!"

"Riley!" the girl still with me screamed. I sensed that she wanted to go check on her friend, but I reached out and grabbed her neck before she could, forcing her to face me.

"What is your name, girl?" I asked quietly, a slight growl in my tone.

The girl looked up at me with wide, crimson eyes, her panic hitting me in waves. "Bree..." she answered, her voice shaking. "Please, just let me go... Don't kill me... Please..."

My gaze faltered, and I sighed as I slowly removed my hand. "You're looking for someone?" I pressed.

Bree nodded quickly, and I could sense her fear of me, but also a bit of curiosity because my eyes were a different color than hers. She possessed the abilities of a newborn, but something told me that she was hesitant to use them. "Yes... the girl... Alice is her name."

"And you've been tracking her scent?"

"Yes." Bree nodded again, not able to meet my gaze. "Her scent led us here from Seattle..."

My eyes narrowed slightly, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before they found her at our house. "Who created you?" I wondered gently, deciding to try a different tactic.

Bree seemed to be caught off guard by my tone. "Riley," she told me.

"And who created Riley?" I was sure I knew, but I wanted her to confirm it.

But before Bree could answer, I quickly looked up when I heard someone approaching me, but I was too late when Riley grabbed my neck, his momentum slamming me into the nearest tree. He got close to my face again as I tried to struggle out of his grasp, which was a bit difficult since he still possessed newborn strength.

"It will only be a matter of time before we find Alice," he whispered to me. "You can't hide her forever." Then he released me and went back to Bree. "Let's go."

I watched as Riley disappeared back into the trees, but Bree stayed behind and looked back at me for a moment before she too disappeared. I took a deep, unneeded breath as I stepped away from the tree as Emmett hurried over to me.

"Should we go after them?" I asked.

"No. They'll be too far ahead to catch up to now," I muttered, though I would have loved to get my hands on Riley for threatening Alice. "But at least we have their scent. We should get back to the house. Check on Alice. She's probably worried sick."

* * *

When Emmett and I opened the door of the house, I expected Alice to run to greet us, asking if we were all right. Instead, I found her asleep on the couch, her expression one of peace.

"She tried waiting up for you," Esme said quietly as she gave me a quick hug. "But the poor girl is just exhausted."

"I'm glad she's getting some sleep." I knelt down next to the couch, carefully running my fingers through her hair.

Then, I looked up when Edward entered the room. "How's Grandma, Emmett?" he asked.

"Fine, Ed," Emmett answered. "But I'm probably gonna' head back to patrol the area, just to make sure. I just wanted to check on Al."

"Bella and I could go," Edward offered as his girlfriend joined him. "Besides, Rosalie wants to go hunting with you."

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Okay, yeah, you and Bella watch after Grandma," he replied. "I'll uh... I'll go hunting with Rose."

"Have fun," Edward muttered with a smirk, laughing when Emmett gave him the finger as he left the room. I shook my head and smiled as I watched them. At least they could still have some fun.

Edward then stepped outside so he could go back to his old house to keep an eye on his grandmother in case the newborns came back, but Bella stayed behind for a moment. She came over to the couch and wrapped her arms around me in a hug.

"Alice is going to be just fine, Jazz," she assured me in a whisper.

I smiled at her as she let go. "Thanks, Bells," I muttered.

Bella smiled back at me as she squeezed my hand before she got back to her feet. Then, she hurried out the door after Edward. I glanced behind me when I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, finding myself looking up into the smiling face of Esme.

"Have a good night, Jasper," she said quietly.

"You too." I watched as Esme left the room before sitting on the couch next to Alice's head, staring blankly out the window as I continued to run my fingers through her hair. The newborns were following her trail quickly. It would only be a short time before they came back here...

Then, I looked down at Alice when she moved closer to me. "Jazz..." she murmured in her sleep.

I smiled down at her, lightly kissing her head. "I'm right here, Alice," I told her quietly. "And I always will be."

This seemed to appease her as I watched a small smile appear on her face. I sighed, looking back out the window. Victoria was making her move- it was time to make ours.

**A/N**: Again, sorry for the long wait! But I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!

**Next Chapter**: _That Wet Dog Smell_


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